FRAGMENTS of what could be the earliest known battlefield guns have been unearthed by treasure hunters near Tadcaster.

The find has been described as being of “genuine historical importance” and comes after metal detector operator Simon Richardson and archaeologist Tim Sutherland searched the medieval War of the Roses battlefield at Towton.

Mr Richardson, of Tadcaster, said: “I had previously found a lead cannonball which is from a handgun or a very small mounted gun so I knew they had been used here, but I never expected in a million years to find pieces of one.”

The fragments were taken for analysis to Oxfordshire where scientists confirmed they were from two handguns and probably the earliest cast gun fragments from Britain.

Mr Sutherland, of the University of York, described the fragments as “incredibly important”.

“In terms of rarity, we don’t know of any other battlefield where these have turned up,” he said.

“In terms of the medieval period the find is, as far as I know, unique; and in terms of Towton battlefield, it is very, very important because we are looking at the cusp of the use of archery and the introduction of handguns. “It is incredibly important. We still cannot believe we have actually found these.”

He said: “The fact that these two fragments are on a medieval battlefield in the middle of nowhere – where there is nothing to be besieged – means that they are in use on a medieval battlefield in 1461. It is real data that we can put back into the research of medieval warfare.”

The Battle of Towton took place on March 29, 1461, and is reputed to be among the bloodiest in English history with an estimated 28,000 men killed – roughly one per cent of the entire English population at the time.

It was the largest battle fought in Britain and it is estimated up to 80,000 soldiers fought in the battle, which the Yorkists won.

The find will feature in tonight’s edition of Inside Out on BBC1 at 7.30pm.