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Doctor Who fans have another reason to celebrate after it was suggested that more 'lost' episodes are set to be returned.

Philip Morris last year returned nine lost Patrick Troughton episodes to the BBC, after finding them in Nigeria.

And asked about the prospect of more finds he has now claimed: “The wind is blowing the right way”.

The Scouser, dubbed the 'Indiana Jones of Doctor Who' and the 'Raider of the Lost Archives' by fans, have been searching the world with his company Television International Enterprises Archive to find old British TV shows, which have been lost or destroyed, with the aim of returning them home.

Currently, 97 Doctor Who episodes from the Troughton and William Hartnell years are missing, along with other lost gems including episodes of cult BBC series like Dad's Army, and the first season of The Avengers on ITV.

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Morris - who was kidnapped in 2006 while working for an oil company in Nigeria - revealed the dangers of finding archive TV in a question and answer session with fans on the Doctor Who Missing Episodes Discussion Group on Facebook.

When asked if he had found most lost episodes, Phil said: “A tricky one to answer. And fans will just want a yes or no, haven't you or have you. But it's complex. All I can say is the wind is blowing the right way. Be patient.

“There are no announcements in the pipeline at present. It can sometimes be the wrong thing with ongoing work and investigation.

“An example would be during the last announcement, I was in a very hostile part of the world and suddenly I was everywhere on TV. My anonymity was compromised, which made the team a target.

“So we must plan these things carefully for the greater good of the project and the safety of the personnel involved.

“I was in Syria. I missed a shell attack by about ten feet. How lucky was I? But there have been lots of tricky moments - bandits, armed militia - but that was the closest.”

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Although he has only revealed the nine episodes which he has found so far, Phil confirmed that he had located other Doctor Who film prints which was unsalvagable.

He said: “I did locate some black and white Jon Pertwee episodes that were mush - Ambassadors of Death part two, I think. Thankfully, nothing that was missing.”

A spokesman for BBC Worldwide played down the prospect of any recent finds.

He said: “BBC Worldwide does not have any of the 97 missing episodes of Doctor Who and none are being restored for release.

"We were delighted to be able to bring Doctor Who fans The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear last year, thanks to the fantastic efforts of Philip Morris and Television International Enterprises Archives.

"Naturally we continue to hope that all of the missing episodes are out there somewhere, waiting to be discovered and returned for the ultimate benefit of the fans.”

As well as the news on the lost episodes, fans recently learned the news series of Doctor Who will begin on August 23 with new Time Lord Peter Capaldi. A promotional tour with Capaldi will kick off on August 7 in Cardiff.