A COLLECTION of "unique" ancient Roman artefacts has been donated to a county school.

More than 1,000 items were presented to Malvern College by Stephanie Bilton, whose husband, Norman, owned the artefacts before he died aged 61, in 2001.

"This is a huge and varied collection," said Martin Harris, from the college's Classics department, who is cataloguing it.

"There are examples of Roman wall plaster, probably from 2nd or 3rd Century Spain, as well as intact oil lamps, some with decoration and illustrations.

"It includes quite unusual and unique samples of pottery and other artefacts from across the Roman Empire, including worked bone, coins, mosaic, glassware, metal objects and pieces of masonry."

The Bilton Collection, as it will be called, will be housed in Malvern College's library and officially unveiled on Thursday, May 8.

The items on show will be changed on a regular basis, and the Classics department will use any not displayed for teaching purposes.

"There is nothing finer than a hands-on approach when teaching archaeology," added Mr Harris.

Mrs Bilton, who lives in Great Malvern, wanted to ensure the collection was not given to a large museum where it might be hidden from view.

"I am giving my husband's collection to Malvern College because I did not want it to sit in boxes in a vault," she said. "So I contacted the college to see if they could use it in a teaching context and I am very pleased that is what they are going to do with it.

Mr Bilton, who was managing director of Radio Wyvern for 14 years before he took early retirement due to ill-health in 1997, collected the Roman artefacts over many years.

"Norman collected ever since he was a small boy and had the most remarkable ability to spot a piece from miles away," said his widow.

He is best remembered for turning the Barbourne Terrace station around, boosting listener figures and overseeing the £3.9m buy-out by Great Western Radio.

Under his guidance, Wyvern also raised more than £1m for charity.