Cinderella would have been waiting a long time to find her prince had she dropped her shoe in the Thames Estuary a few thousand years ago.

One such precious slipper parted from its ancient owner was relinquished from a clay tomb after archaeology enthusiast Steve Tomlinson spotted it poking out the mud flats.

Now, after making the discovery in August, the ancient find could be revealed as originating as far back as the Roman period and possibly even the Bronze age.

Mr Tomlinson from Birchington says it took a second glance to realise the object may have been of historical significance.

"I was out and about just up that area and it was sticking out of a bit of clay mud so I pulled it out. I first thought it was a bit of tat but the history of the Thames goes through all the ages so I put the call out to archaeologists and groups and they said, 'oh my God preserve it straight away.'"

The 47-year-old put the leather moccasin-style slipper into a bag which was then placed into natural water to stop the shoe from deteriorating.

"We think it could be from the Roman period and very possibly before the 14th century as we stopped wearing that type of shoe after that period. It is made from the hyde of an animal and is in the style of a carbatina shoe, which is Roman," he said.

A carbatina, was cut from one piece of leather, wrapped around the foot and secured with thongs which tied through holes on the sides. It is worn to a hole in the heel.

The father-of-two discovered the artefact just days after he unearthed a large Roman pot a few meters away.

"It was an unusual find because of the size of it," he said.

The pottery vessel could be up to 2,000 years old but the Birchington ecologist says his first thought is always to offer up the find for the public to view.

The Roman Black Burnished Ware pot has a cross hatching design and is said to be around 2,000 years old.

In a further twist and, in what was an miraculous stroke of luck, the base of the pot was discovered days after the top piece.

Writing at the time, he said: "I wondered whether or not by some miracle it could be the missing part of my recent find. Well...it is indeed the missing base piece, and now I have the complete Roman pot."

Mr Tomlinson remains tight-lipped over the exact location of his recent finds in case enthusiasts descend on the area but it is only to preserve the integrity of the space.

"I'm no interested in money, archaeology belongs to the people," he said.

Now after securing £415 from experts keen to determine the age of the shoe Mr Tomlinson says the artefact will travel to a Scottish university be carbon dated.