Roofers from Manx firm Oracle Roofing and Solar have made a remarkable discovery while working on a house in Selbourne Drive, Douglas this week.

Hidden under the roof of a property was a note written in 1951, offering a unique glimpse into post-war life in the Isle of Man.

On Wednesday staff found a note alongside a cigarette packet, revealing that labourers at the time earned two shillings and sixpence per hour, and rationing was still in effect.

It says that the room was plastered some 40 years after the house was completed.

The note also mentions that a Manx suit cost £20, shirts were £1.10 and shoes cost £4. The cigarette packet, which bore the price of one shilling and ninepence for ten cigarettes, further illustrates the cost of living during that era.

The roofing company said it was a ‘brilliant find showing how much lads were earning’ and described it as ‘an amazing piece of history’.