A MEDAL awarded to a Worcester-born soldier has been sold at auction for almost half again as much as it was expected to fetch.

The 1793-1814 Military General Service medal was awarded to Pte Joseph Smedley almost 200 years ago.

The silver medal, which is 1.5ins in diameter, went for £862 at an auction in London - £262 more than the £600 it was expected to fetch.

It features Queen Victoria's head on the front and the Queen placing a laurel wreath on the Duke of Wellington on the reverse, with the inscription "To the British Army, 1793-1814".

John Hayward, from Spink Auctioneers, which auctioned the medal last Wednesday, said it was very rare.

Pte Smedley was awarded the medal in 1848 for his part in a fierce six-day battle to capture Guadeloupe - the last remaining French island in the West Indies - between January 30, 1810 and February 4, 1810.

"Pte Smedley was among the British who entered without effective opposition and the French then appeared in force," said Mr Hayward.

"They had a bit of a tussle and the French put up quite a lot of resistance but the British got there in the end.

"There are not too many medals for the West Indies battles around so the medal Pte Smedley was awarded is quite scarce," added Mr Hayward.