A FLAG that was stolen during the 1966 World Cup and only recovered earlier this week has been reunited with the man tasked with looking after it.

The Soviet Union flag was being flown outside Durham University sports centre, where the country was training for the football tournament, when it was taken in broad daylight back in July 1966.

After more than 50 years without any clue to its whereabouts, the man who took the flag handed it in to The Northern Echo's Darlington office earlier this week.

Now, the Echo has handed the flag over to Alex Henderson, who was head of sport at Durham University at the time of the theft.

"I had no idea why it was taken," said Mr Henderson, now aged 81.

"We didn't know if it was someone trying to make a political statement - all I remember is the Russians were very upset.

"Maybe he wanted it as a souvenir - I don't know what was going on."

The Echo was able to return the flag to Mr Henderson after his son, Cameron, contacted the newspaper.

Recalling the moment he noticed the flag had been taken, Mr Henderson, who lives in Chester-le-Street, said: "I was in the car park and I had one of my students with me, and he pointed out the flag on this giant pole that had been put up was missing.

"The next thing we knew is there was people all around because the Russians weren't happy.

"Back in those days you couldn't just go out and get a flag - it wasn't like that.

"It was a funny thing to do - people didn't steal things as much back then."

The man who took the flag, who asked to remain anonymous, said the theft was a "spur of the moment thing" and the flag had been stored in his home for more than half a century.

He said he had decided now was the right time to return the flag because he had no one to pass it onto.

"I was on my way home and I saw the flag flying on the pole," he said.

"I have never done anything with it, so I decided to hand it back and hopefully it can go back to the original owners."

Asked what they planned to do with the flag now it was returned, Alex, who was head of sport at Durham for 32 years, said he "didn't want it", so Cameron plans to return it to the university where he now works.

"I'll see what the vice-chancellor says, but it will be nice to put it in a frame," he added.

The Soviet Union flag which was stolen was the second to be flown outside the Russian training headquarters during the tournament.

The first was hurriedly replaced when it was found to be much smaller than the Italian flag which was being flown across the road.

Durham Police said earlier this week they were "pleased" the flag had been returned, and they were no longer carrying out an investigation into its whereabouts.