A MARTIAL arts instructor will be using the best equipment in his classes after he was presented with a 400-year-old Samurai sword.

Ray Bell, a 5th Dan who set up the International Dojo, in Hammerton Street, has just returned from a teaching spell in Spain but handed the sword's blade to a friend to restore while he was away.

The blade originated from the 1650s and cost £1,500.

The sparkling sword with fancy fittings was handed to him at his first meeting back at the International Dojo this week.

Ray, 53, said: "I asked Dave Fuller, a friend who is an authority on this kind of thing, if he could bring it back to its original condition about two or three months ago and then went to Spain. He has got things from all over the world on the internet for it.

"It was a surprise when they presented me with it but they are very good at keeping secrets. It will be worth about £4,500 now because it triples the value when they are reconditioned.

"The blade was made in 1650. With a lot of blades in Japan during the war all the fancy fittings were taken off and they put plain brass fittings on instead, which is what mine had on when I bought it. Dave has replaced them with fancy fittings again and I am very impressed."

The blade has still got part of the signature from the man who made the sword and had to fold steel thousands of times over.