A quest has started to find the owner of an Indian soldier's Second World War service record which was accidently left behind in Bradford College library.

The document details a fascinating account of Qalandar Shah's war service from his call-up in 1941 to when he was demobbed in August 1946, aged 29.

It was found in the McMillan Teaching Library at the college in April. Staff have been attempting to trace its owner ever since but without success.

Noel Preece, a library steward who was handed the record, said: "We keep a log of all lost property. I made several inquiries but was unsuccessful. Normally we can trace documents back to their owners through the database and by asking around."

Bradford College marketing officer Frances Longley, pictured with some of the document's pages, said she was puzzled as to why it was brought into the library and then left behind.

"We think the document is an external source which must have been left," she said.

"We are not sure if a student was doing research on it. Noel has searched the college database to see if anyone at college could be related to Mr Shah but there are no links. It could have been used for research or to trace a family history. We have asked regular users of the library about it but no-one has a clue. It could be an important document to the family it belongs to."

The document has been kept with the college's security department' lost property store but now staff are appealing for whoever brought the record into the library to come back and claim it.

The Army record shows that Mr Shah served for five years and ten days after he enrolled in 1941. It states that he was a Muslim and he would have been among the tens of thousands of Commonwealth servicemen who fought alongside the British Army and Allied forces as the document is written in English with a Punjabi translation.

The document also details how Mr Shah was an agriculture worker before signing up for the Army.

It states he was stationed at one time at Jalna near Bombay but is likely to have also seen service in Africa and Burma as he received campaign medals including the 1939 to 1945 Star, and the Africa and Burma Stars.

The document also advises soldiers to keep their record safely as it could be used as a character reference to get work after they were demobbed following their war service.

Miss Longley has appealed for anyone who recognises the documents to contact the college on (01274) 753004.

"Anybody who does know it should recognise it. It is obviously important for somebody that it is returned," she said.