WANSTEAD’S answer to Indiana Jones claims he has finally discovered the location of the borough’s most sought after ancient relic after an epic 40 year search.

Amateur archeologist Richard Bond says he has located the site of a 2,000 year-old Roman Villa in Wanstead Park bringing to an end decades of painstaking research and investigation.

The 60 year-old father-of-two began his quest in 1969 after a chat with eminent historian Elsden Tuffs, who passed on his knowledge of the long-lost building.

Many other part-time sleuths before him have searched unsuccessfully for the villa’s ornate mosaic floor - which has lain undiscovered since the 18th century when workmen uncovered, and then reburied it, while landscaping the grounds of the former Wanstead House.

Mr Bond, who lived in nearby Empress Avenue when he started the hunt, believes he has found the tiled structure but refused to reveal its exact location in order to prevent reckless ‘treasure-hunters’ damaging the site.

He said: “I now have no doubt that I’ve located the Roman villa after finding large amounts of artifacts in one specific place.

“So far I’ve found fragments of roofing tiles, tesserae (mosaic cubes) and small bits of pottery and parts of the building’s central heating system.

“The mosaic pavement would have been in the main room of the villa, and probably had a picture of the Roman god of wine, Bacchus reclining on an animal in the middle of it, holding a goblet.

“It would probably have been a farmstead, owned by a wealthy Briton who had adopted the Roman way of life.

“The pavement was recorded when it was uncovered in the 18th century as being 20 feet by 16 feet in size.

“Most of the items I have found have been sitting on the surface, with much of it being revealed after heavy rainfall.”

Mr Bond, who has been interested in the history of Wanstead Park since taking his future wife Margaret there for their first date, now hopes to get permission to excavate the villa site.

He said: “We just need to create two or three small trenches to confirm the pavement is there.

“If I’m right then this will be a significant find. It will be great to finally see the face in the middle of the pavement after all this time.”