A PRICELESS painting of a Brierley Hill war hero has been mysteriously returned safe and sound - two-and-a-half years after it went missing from the town's library.

The oil painting, depicting tragic Brockmoor WWI soldier Sergeant William Jordan rescuing a wounded comrade in May 1915, had been missing - presumed stolen - since September 2013.

But history fans mourning its disappearance this week celebrated its return after it was found on the steps of Cradley Library, wrapped in a carrier bag!

The picture by award-winning artist Francis Gibbons was on display at Brierley Hill's old free library in Moor Street for many years before being confined to a drawer at the subsequent High Street library.

Former Dudley Council leader Tim Sunter, chairman of Brierley Hill Civic Society, raised the alarm about its loss which he discovered while working on a Great War research project for the Brierley Hill blog.

He said at the time "it would be a tragedy if it were lost for future generations" and the disappearance of the "irreplaceable and therefore priceless" piece of art made the News front page in November 2014.

However - its whereabouts remained a mystery.

Council bosses confessed they believed the picture had been stolen and appealed for its return - to no avail.

The painting was thought lost for good - prompting Brierley Hill Civic Society and Sgt Jordan's great nephew Paul to commission a reproduction of the picture, from an iPhone photograph of the original, which now hangs in St Michael's Church, Brierley Hill.

But suddenly - out of the blue - members of staff arrived at Cradley Library to find the original painting had been left on the front steps, wrapped in a carrier bag.

Councillor Rachel Harris, Dudley's cabinet member for libraries, said: “This is very unusual to find such an important piece of local artwork abandoned on the front steps of a library.

"I’m pleased that after all this time someone has been brave enough to return the painting to us.

“We have always tried to run an open and transparent library service based on the trust of people who come and use these important facilities. Since the painting disappeared we have reviewed how we display these sorts of items to the public and we will now be making arrangements for this painting to be put somewhere safe.”

Tim Sunter said of its return: "It's absolutely fantastic; we thought it had been lost forever. When it went missing I think a lot of us were heartbroken. It's part of the town's history."

Paul Jordan, former headteacher at Buckpool School, added: "I'm absolutely delighted and thrilled on so many levels. This painting is about an ordinary man from Brierley Hill carrying out an extraordinary feat of bravery in appalling conditions. We're just grateful that someone has returned it."

War hero Sgt Jordan, who lived in Campbell Street, Brockmoor and attended Brockmoor School, served with the South Staffordshire Regiment and was promoted for distinguished conduct in the field and mentioned by Sir John French, Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force, in his final dispatch in 1915.

Tragically, at the age of 40, he was killed in action in France on September 25 that same year - on the first day of the Battle of Loos.

Nearly two years later, in July 1917, Wordsley artist Francis Gibbons donated his painting honouring Sgt Jordan's heroism to Brierley Hill District Council and it was hung in the old library.