An artefact from Silsden's Second World War effort that was to be thrown away has been returned to the town and is part of a war legacy worth £500.

A silver cigarette box was recently sent to the town council by John Stansell, 81, of New Zealand. It was a memento from his days in service on a torpedo boat paid for by the people of Silsden.

In a letter to the council he hoped they would find use for the battle-scarred box and explained: "It seems a pity to throw it out."

It is not the first historical item to be delivered back to the town from the sunken boat by Mr Stansell. He served on the boat before she was lost, and in 1999 visited Silsden to present her teak name plaque to the town.

The sterling silver box itself is worth £20. However as a set, the box, Mr Stansell's letter, and the name plaque has an insurance value of £500.

The cigarette box was given to the torpedo boat by the manufacturers Vospers, and is hall-marked on the lid and base to Birmingham in 1941.

A small plaque inside reads: "Wishing MTB75 an extremely successful commission with best wishes for the future from all at Vospers." The top of the box is enamelled in blue with the Latin motto Caudae Spiculum Cave, meaning beware the sting in the tail.

Silsden Town Council clerk Joanne Conway said: "Without the history, or the context the items aren't that valuable. The box on its own isn't worth that much, but the inscriptions link it to the town and the story of the boat. It's a lovely thing to have back in the town and it's a good job Mr Stansell didn't throw it away!"

The town council will decide what to do with the box at its next meeting.

The name plaque, dated March 1942, is currently being displayed with a picture of an identical ship, the MTB 375, in the council chamber.

The MTB75 45-tonne motor torpedo boat was paid for by Warship Week - a week of fundraising between March 14 and 21, including events such as a penny mile.

A total of £129,115 was raised, which worked out at £26 and 5d per person in Silsden at the time.

The boat had a brief but dynamic career and was involved in the Sicily Campaign. She took a direct hit when docked at the Augusta harbour in early July 1943, and is thought to still be lying on the seabed there.