SECRET documents relating to the D-Day landings have been found at a New Forest hotel - 70 years after they were left behind by army chiefs.

The treasure trove of material was discovered at the Balmer Lawn Hotel, which was used as an army college during the Second World War and was involved in the planning of the Normandy invasion.

View the D-Day documents found under the floorboards at the Balmer Lawn Hotel in a gallery

The paperwork was found under floorboards that were being replaced during renovation work at the four-star hotel in Brockenhurst.

Owner Chris Wilson said: “The documents were all scrunched up under the floor in the middle of the room.

“We don't really know what they were doing there. It's pure speculation but the servicemen based here during the war may have decided to simply stuff them under the floorboards when they left.”

The material, some of which is marked “On His Majesty's Service”, survived a massive fire at the hotel in the early 1970s.

Mr Wilson added: “They're in a delicate condition and unscrunching them will have to be done very carefully. After that I imagine we'll put them on display.”

Built as a private house and hunting lodge in 1800 the Balmer Lawn was extended in 1850.

During the First World War it was used as a field hospital, with injured soldiers being wheeled there on luggage trolleys from Brockenhurst station.

In the Second World War the hotel was transformed into an army staff college. Some of the orders for the D-Day invasion were issued from the hotel ahead of the landings on June 6 1944.

Famous people who visited the hotel during the two wars included King George V, Winston Churchill and General Eisenhower.

A hotel spokesman said: “We are still in the process of evaluating the papers but some seem to include code on them, while others are more to do with the day-to-day organisation of the soldiers. One includes an invite to all personnel to attend a musical variety show.

“Perhaps of most interest are the documents that refer to the D-Day landings.

“One document refers to D-Day1 - June 7 1944 - and mentions difficulties in setting up a 10 -mile telephone cable as troops continued advancing into northern France.”