LONDON, February 21. /TASS/. An earlier unknown story starring famous detective Sherlock Holmes, that could have been written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), has been found in the town of Selkirk, Great Britain.

Walter Elliot, 80, found a book with this story in his attic. "The story sits alongside prose and poetry by local people, and was published as part of a three-day fund-raising bazaar," the Guardian writes.

The book was published in 1904 to raise money to restore a bridge in Selkirk washed away by a flood in 1902. Elliot said the writer had visited the town and agreed to make his contribution to fund raising.

Walter Elliot, a historian and poet, said he had kept it in his attic for some 40 or 50 years.

"It’s unsigned, and I’m not a specialist, but the vocabulary seems pretty close to the way Conan Doyle wrote. I’m fairly sure it was written by him," he said about the story.

Locals organized a three-day event to raise funds for a new bridge in 1904.

Conan Doyle was guest of honour on the final day of the bazaar, and his attendance was announced on the end page.