A TAVISTOCK baker has spent £155 on an ancient hot cross bun, left hidden for luck in a London roof for more than 170 years.

Bill Foster, owner of Bill the Baker in Tavistock's Pym Street, bought the 172-year-old bun after reading about it in a magazine — the bun was put up for auction at an antiques fair in Birmingham.

'I don't know why I did it, it was a whim really — I thought it might get knocked around a bit so I thought I would give it a good home,' said Bill.

He was not able to take time off to go to the antiques fair himself, but a friend was able to collect the bun for him, which was bought by a telephone bid.

'I haven't even seen it yet, I haven't had time to go and pick it up,' said Bill, who has baked somewhere in the region of 4,500 hot cross buns himself this Easter.

He intends to keep the bun under lock and key for the time being, though it will probably be used as a centre-piece for his window display next Easter.

'I may even use it to raise some money for charity,' he said.

'I've already had an offer from one of my customers who offered to make a display case for it.'

The bun was originally baked in Stepney, London in 1828 and was kept in the roof as a traditional good luck charm.

It has received considerable publicity, being featured in a national newspaper and on the children's TV programme Blue Peter.

'I read that it's got woodworm and has been nibbled by mice — it has been up on the rafters of somebody's house for many years, to ward off evil spirits,' said Bill.

Hopefully the bun will continue to do its good work in Pym Street for the next 172 years.