A BELL that was "lost" from the battleship that refused to die will now be given pride of place at Worcester's Guildhall.

HMS Worcester gained its famous reputation after it battled dive-bombing and torpedo attacks to rescue thousands of British and French soldiers from Dunkirk.

The ship was eventually crippled by a mine on December 23, 1943, and its bell was presented by Admiralty to the City of Worcester in remembrance of its service.

But up until this year, the bell's location had remained a mystery to everyone except John Sanders, the chairman of the Worcester Sea Cadets, and a Worcester museum curator.

"I was visiting the Museum of Local Life, when I glanced through a door and spotted a large bell tucked away at the back of a storeroom," said Mr Sanders.

"I asked the curator if I could take a closer look and then the importance of the find hit me. No one at the museum had realised it was the bell from HMS Worcester."

Despite spotting this historic article, Mr Sanders decided to keep quiet about its location for more than a year - fearing the bell could go missing again.

He decided to reveal his find when the Dunkirk Veterans disbanded their association at Worcester Cathedral last year.

"The veterans seemed amazed when I told them I knew where the bell was," said Mr Sanders. "I thought I'd keep quiet, until I could tell the people to whom it really mattered. They were very interested in returning it back into the public eye."

Now the bell has finally been moved from storage and will be hung in the Guildhall's Randall room.

To add to this celebration Worcester's Mayor, Councillor David Clark, is hoping to conduct an official unveiling.

"I've been in contact with John Sanders who's put me in touch with Vic Green who was an able seaman and survivor from HMS Worcester when the ship took on German battleships. He served upon the bridge in 1941 and 1942," said Coun Clark.

"His son has put together a book on the ship and has collected a wealth of information.

"We already have pictures of the battleship, a plaque for HMS Worcester in the lower hall, and the original badge for the ship. The bell would really emphasise the ship's links with the city."

Coun Clark confirmed once planning guidelines had been outlined and a suitable place discussed, the bell would capture the memory of the crew and would be another visible monument to the historic ship.