A football fan found has discovered long lost tapes of the 1966 World Cup celebrations collecting dust in his attic.

Ian Matthews, 69, had forgotten he had made the rare recordings of the victory more than 40 years ago.

But after an email from 192.com asking for 1966 World Cup memories, he remembered the audio tapes stashed in the attic of his home in Athelstan Road, Hastings.

Mr Matthews, who works in the box office of the White Rock Theatre in Hastings, said: “I expected them to have deteriorated too much to be listened to but they were actually in great condition because the reels had been kept in a relatively air tight box.

“There were 12 breaks in the tape but I fixed them with a splicing kit that came with the recorder.

“The footage is from a celebratory dinner after the match. I can’t remember where the party was but I think there’s some mention of views over Knightsbridge.

“There are bits from Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters, George Cohen, Jackie Charlton as well as their wives.

Listen to a clip of the tapes above

“One of the nicest moments is when Bobby Moore thanks the nation for all the support the team were given in the tournament.

“Even Pickles, the dog that found the World Cup after it went missing is featured.”

Mr Matthews said he thought the tape could be one of the last remaining tapes of the momentous event with even the original BBC recording believed missing.

He added: “I was 25 at the time and I don’t really remember why I decided to record it. It’s not probably a very normal thing for a 25-year-old to be doing but looking back on it I’m glad I did because I think a lot of recordings from that day have been lost or destroyed over the years.”

Despite their age the reels of tape are still in good condition and crowds can be heard singing the England chant outside.