A retired Clevedon milkman went more than 200 miles out of his way to Slough, to deliver a lost sketchbook he found at the side of the road.

Cyril Dyer, 78, was driving through Kenn village, when he saw what he thought was an A4 diary.

He quickly turned around to retrieve the book, which was actually an artist's book full of paintings and sketches of people and abbeys.

After several letters, phone calls, and lots of research, the couple managed to track down the owner, Peter Koenig, a religious artist who lives in Taplow, near Slough.

They then made the 200-mile return trip to Slough to deliver the book to Mr Koenig's door.

After discovering the book in July, Mr Dyer and his wife Carol, 55, were so taken by the paintings that they showed it to their Mexican daughter-in-law Pilar, who is an artist.

She recognised the first painting in the book as a famous painting of a Mexican lady The Flower Seller of Diego Rivera.

Mr Dyer told the Evening Post: "I was determined to find the owner and return the book. It was the contents of the book that made me motivated to find the artist."

The book contained two addresses, but after some research, Mr Dyer discovered that one was ex-directory, and the other was not listed.

He then wrote to a man whose portrait appeared in the book, Patrick Borg, who lived in London.

Mr Dyer said: "The gentleman remembered the artist whom he met while on holiday at an Abbey in Leicestershire. He advised me to contact a monk at the abbey to see if he could remember the artist, but this drew a blank."

Mr Dyer then wrote to the addresses in the book, and one turned out to be the correct address for Mr Koenig.

Grandfather-of-three Mr Dyer said: "Peter was delighted after he received the letter that I had found his book.

"In late August my wife and I returned the book to its rightful owner, who made us very welcome. He was very pleased to see his treasured book again."

Mr Koenig and his wife were attending a golden wedding celebration in Kingston Seymour, near Clevedon when they had a break at Leigh Delamare service station on the M4. Mr Koenig had brought his sketchbook with him, as he planned to do some portraits at the party.

When they returned to their car, four youths in the next car were acting suspiciously, but it was not until they reached Kingston Seymour that they realised the book was missing.

Mr Koenig said he was very pleased that Mr Dyer had returned his book, but wished it had been the boys – who he believed had taken the book – who had returned it and apologised for their actions.