A JAPANESE sword and flag believed to hail from the Second World War period have been handed to police in County Durham.

An elderly woman from Horden, near Peterlee, called officers last week to ask for the items to be taken away from her home for fear of them being stolen or used against her.

Police Community Support Volunteer (PCSV) Mikei Hubbard and PCSO Victoria Trotter sought advice from staff at Durham University’s Oriental Museum who confirmed the items - a Good Luck Flag and sword with a possible Samurai blade - were genuine.

PCSV Hubbard, of Peterlee Neighbourhood Police Team, said: “For me personally and for the wider community this is quite an emotive subject and a sore subject for the families of officers who fought in World War Two.

“I know me and Tory (Ms Trotter) believe something with such historical significance should be repatriated and returned to where it belongs.”

The items were collected on Friday from the woman who claimed they had been in the hands of her family for several years.

“She told us it was actually a family member who brought it back from the front line during the Second World War,” added PCSV Hubbard.

And though it is protocol for such items to be disposed of, the volunteer made some checks at the office and saved them from the furnace.

He and PCSO Trotter got in touch with head of museums at Durham University, Craig Barclay, and Oriental Museum curator Rachel Barclay.

Ms Barclay said: “We are still in the early stages of working out more about them. We contacted a sword specialist who referred us to a specialist in Japan and hopefully we can trace where and when the sword was made.”

It is understood the blade could originate from the samurai class but appears to have been mounted in the Second World War period.

However, it has been the flag that has been of particular interest to Ms Barclay.

“There was a tradition in Japan in the 20th century where silk flags would be signed by people, sometimes friends or family,” she added. “They would then be folded very small and kept within the soldier’s uniform as good fortune.”

The flag is believed to be from the Second World War period and initial research suggests the name and place where it originated is painted on in Japanese.

The museum is now making efforts to establish its original owner and track down family members in order to return it - a gesture which Ms Barclay said would be the closest thing to returning the fallen soldier.