For years they had lain forgotten. But now etchings which are believed to be the work of one of Britain's leading 20th century artists have been discovered - thanks to a burst water pipe.

The remarkable artwork was discovered hidden behind layers of wallpaper in the Yorkshire house which had been the home of the artist, Edward Wadsworth a century ago.

And now the new owners of the house say they have been told the etchings were almost certainly made by Wadsworth, who was educated at Ghyll Royd School in Ilkley.

Phill and Lynn Trim began redecorating the spare bedroom in their Cleckheaton home after a burst pipe in the loft caused the ceiling to collapse. And when the wallpaper came off, what they found was a revelation.

In the bedroom which was once the artist's they discovered around 12 detailed etchings, which are now intriguing the experts.

The couple, who had no inkling of their house's history, had moved from Somerset three years ago to Highfield House in Waltroyd Road.

Mrs Trim, 48, an education adviser, said: "We bought this house and we were doing it up.

"We had a burst pipe and the ceiling came down in that bedroom. We took all the wallpaper off but there was this particular part of the wall where it proved really difficult.

"There were about six layers of wallpaper. Phil used a steamer but it wouldn't all come off.

"I was downstairs making tea when Phil came down and said he thought he had found something."

"They were just sketches on a black wall - but they had obviously not just been done by anybody."

"They looked like they had been done by a young lad doing his homework - but they were extremely good. The reason it hadn't come off was because it was covered in some sort of preservative."

It wasn't until they mentioned the etchings to a neighbour that they realised their home's connection to the famous artist. The neighbour, who lives in the other half of what used to be the Wadsworth family home, filled them in on the history.

"We didn't know anything at all about Edward Wadsworth," Mrs Trim said. "The people next door came to have a look and told us the history.

"This was the home of his father, Fred Wadsworth, who was a mill owner. Edward Wadsworth was supposed to take on the mill but he decided he was going to be an artist. I think he was a bit of a black sheep in the family."

At one stage in his life the artist lived in the West Country - and amazingly the Trims think one of the sketches is of a pub near where they used to live in Somerset.

The intricate etchings include other buildings, ornate lampposts and orbs.

Since their discovery about six months ago a number of local experts have visited the house to see the narrow alcove where the etchings are for themselves.

And Mrs Trim said the consensus seemed to be that the sketches were Wadsworth's work - although none of them is signed.

"They are not signed, and we cannot say with 100 per cent certainty they were done by him - but we have been told by a number of people that they think it is his work."

Ian Barrand of the Cartwright Hall art gallery in Bradford said: "There is some speculation as to whether it is original artwork or not. That has to be confirmed by a Wadsworth expert."

He said the 'doodles' were of a very high standard, and there was even a theory that the work might itself be wallpaper - although it would have been extremely unusual wallpaper.

He said further research needed to be done to ascertain the truth.