Pub is work of art

Three murals in a pub are believed to be rare masterpieces worth thousands of pounds, fine art experts said yesterday.

The interior of the Havelock pub in Hastings, East Sussex, is decorated with three panels of blue and white tiles, probably painted by an artist working for fine china specialists, Royal Doulton.

Hastings Borough Council has made the 19th-century pub a listed building following the find. A spokeswoman for Royal Doulton said yesterday: "We have studied pictures of the tiles and it seems likely that they were a one-off design by a Doulton artist."

The three panels, each four feet square and containing around 15-20 tiles, depict the Battle of Hastings, a sea battle and Hastings Castle. Another panel on the outside of the pub commemorates Sir Henry Havelock, after whom the pub is named.

London auction house, Phil-lips said they could be worth between pounds 1,000 and pounds 2,000.