Explorer Steve Dover gave the British Government just £1 for a shipwreck that had been lying at the bottom of the Indian Ocean for 84 years.

But when the 44-year-old expert diver from Coolham, near Horsham, handed over the token cash he had no idea the deal would make him a national hero in the Oman.

He has now been named Honorary Sheik of the islands and given the name Sheik Al Shahaire.

Reluctantly, he admits: "I'm recognised in the Oman as the man who found one of the country's hidden treasures."

While working on building a police headquarters, rumours reached him that the City of Winchester, the first British ship sunk by the Germans in the First World War, was lying off a remote southern part of Oman - the chain of Hallaniyat Islands.

On his return to the UK, Steve researched the ship's history.

After long negotiations with the royal family and government ministers in the Oman, Steve was given permission for two expeditions to explore the five islands.

He assembled teams of marine biologists, archaeologists, biologists and specialists in turtles, dolphins and other wildlife. A member of the royal family became a patron of the enterprise and the Royal Geographical Society gave it support.

No tourists are allowed near the islands. The teams landed on one of the last pristine environments in the world.

Near the wreck were corals, a unique colony of non-migrating humpback whales and their young, thousands of different species of fish, and 55 species of crabs and crustaceans.

On land were dwellings more than 4,000 years old and archaeologically- unique tombs.

Steve is now working with Sultanate of Oman to make the area a protected nature reserve. He is also in discussion with Unesco to turn the islands into a world heritage site, which will give them total protection.

Videos have been taken of every inch of the 459ft City of Winchester, which is now a protected historical wreck site.

Scientific records have been made of underwater life and rock formations.

Coral, which is disappearing in other parts of the world, grows healthily on nearby rocks and the wreck.

On land, archaeologists discovered dry-stone wall dwellings estimated to be 4,000 years old.

In piles outside were fish bones and shells which will help academics provide a picture of the islanders' lifestyles centuries ago.

Steve explained that the essence of the project was to form an educational partnership between the UK and the Oman.

He said: "We are doing everything hand in hand with the University of Muscat."

Steve is to present a copy of a report on the expeditions to the Sultanate of Oman in a few weeks.

He has a five to seven-year business plan to establish an internal research centre on one of the islands.

If that is approved he will be looking for investors to fork out £4-6 million.

Islanders will police the waters and be given the chance to train as scientists or managers.

Steve said: "It is something for the next generation to do apart from going fishing."