THIS is one of three forgotten paintings that have sent a ripple of excitement across a building site.

Workers converting Wilton Castle, ICI's former executive's playground, near Redcar, on Teesside, into luxury apartments, discovered a hidden turret room with an entrance which had been boarded up and wallpapered over.

Three paintings were found inside, and while they appear to be badly damaged by damp, they are thought to be a potentially exciting find for the art world. One appears to be more than 200 years old.

All the paintings are of pastoral countryside scenes, but no signatures can be made out.

They are now being looked at by specialists in a bid to find out more about their backgrounds, and how they came to be sealed away.

Wimpey Homes North-East is converting the Grade II-listed castle and stable block into 21 apartments, six flats and 18 houses, after ICI last year sold the building, which it used to entertain visiting executives and for corporate training