FOUR dusty old paintings that were handed in to a South Woodford charity shop have been sold at auction for a whopping £1,300.

The works, by South African artist Enslin Du Plessis, were handed in to the Oxfam branch on the High Road three years ago and remained unsold for months - despite being priced at just £10.

But after refurbishment works at the shop, one eagle-eyed volunteer decided to research the paintings on the internet - and found to his amazement they could be extremely valuable.

The shop’s new manager, John Russell, said the sale, at Bonhams auction house, had given a huge boost to the charity.

He said: “We don’t normally do things like this. We always try and price items close to what they’re worth, and there was nothing particularly striking about these paintings.

“But when we found out it was great. It just goes to show how valuable our volunteers are.

"The idea is to have people who know what they are doing - it’s not just opening a bag and sorting through clothes all day, you need skilled people to spot things like this."

The timing could not have been better. The branch, like many other charity shops, has not escaped the effects of the recession, and takings have been hit by continual road and traffic light works on the High Road.

“When I sent off the end of week takings figures, which included the auction sale, to the regional office they phoned me the next day to say they thought I’d made a mistake,” added a delighted Mr Russell.

Enslin Du Plessis, who lived from 1894 to 1978, painted hundreds of oil paintings during his lifetime. His career took off when he came to London in the 1920s, and many of his works remain keenly sought-after.

However despite having many regular contributors to the shop’s stock, the donor of the paintings remains a mystery.

Meanwhile, despite the boost, the shop is still looking for volunteers - and donations - to help them through the year. Call 8505 7771 for more information.

Did you hand in the paintings to Oxfam? We’d love to hear from you. Contact the newsdesk on 8498 3437, by email at dbinns@london.newsquest.co.uk or via the address on page four.