HISTORIANS have been thrilled by the discovery of a historic room-dividing screen decorated by author Charles Dickens.

And now a conservationist at Dorset History Centre in Dorchester is so intent on preserving the original piece and taking off 160 years of grime and dirt that she is using her own saliva to remove the dirt.

The reason for this is that it contains dirt-fighting enzymes should not damage the artwork.

It is thought that in 1850 Dickens spent hours gluing more than 800 images, etchings and prints on to the 7ft tall divider in the home of his actor friend William Macready....