PICTURES that have hung in a family home for more than 40 years have turned out to be time capsules.

When Mohammed Ali's parents moved into their Heaton home in 1978 there were two pictures already on the walls. They remained there until two weeks ago when Mr Ali, who now lives in the house with his mother, took them down, to decorate. He discovered old newspapers, one from the 1920s, hidden in the frames.

"There's a 1926 Sunday Chronicle which has an article about a submarine disaster, and a 1976 Daily Express with a story about runaway girls found safely in France. There are adverts for shampoo costing 14p," said Mr Ali. ""It's really interesting to read about the news from so long ago. These papers are pieces of social history, hidden for all these years on the wall of our hallway."

The newspapers aren't the first historic artefacts Mr Ali has unearthed at his home. As a child he found in his garden an old diamond-shaped coin believed to date back to the English Civil War era.

"It's dated 1646. It's from Charles I time. I've kept it for years," he said.