No Christmas celebrations would be complete without them but, with rationing in post-war Britain, Christmas crackers were an expensive luxury few could readily afford.

Now, after spending 60 years hidden in the dusty attic of a family-run newsagents, two rare and untouched boxes dating back to the 1940s have been unveiled for the first time.

Containing 12 crackers in each, the two boxes are sparingly decorated, with little description and few illustrations. On the lid of one - written in pencil - is the price of 8/6d.