BBC News Hereford & Worcester

The oldest surviving fragments of a 13th Century French poem have been discovered in Worcester.

Le Roman de la Rose tells the romantic adventures of a medieval courtier and the hand-written pages were found in the archives of the Diocese of Worcester, the University of Bristol said.

Bishop of Worcester

The pages were discovered by professor Nicholas Vincent from the University of East Anglia, who asked professor Marianne Ailes (pictured below) from the University of Bristol to confirm their identity.

They aren't in great condition, but she said they are "something very special and unique" and include some lines from the end of the story, which have previously been missing.

University of Bristol

The complete story, which was written by two authors is 22,000 lines long, and the University of Bristol said it contains "one of medieval European literature’s best-known sex scenes".