Fiona Bruce labels item as 'hideous' and 'strangest thing' seen on BBC Antiques Roadshow

's Fiona Bruce confessed that experts struggled to value an unusual and "hideous" item they had never encountered before.

The show visited Derby Roundhouse, where specialists were ready to evaluate a variety of items with both personal and financial worth.

On this occasion, host Fiona Bruce took on the role of the expert as she met a guest who brought in a unique purse.

Fiona asked viewers: "Can you guess what this is? There are three, what could be claws here, and then this lizard-like skin."

When she enquired about its material, the owner revealed it was made from a swan, leading Fiona to exclaim: "It's a swan's claw isn't it! And made it into a purse. It's hideous isn't it?" The guest agreed with Fiona's assessment, laughing.

Fiona added: "Now swans have been owned by the monarch since, it's thought, the 12th Century so whoever had this either illegally killed a swan or was connected to the Royal Family in some way."

Alongside the purse was an Elizabethan coin found inside the swan's foot when it was first bought at an antiques shop, providing a "pretty good start" for dating the item.

The owner explained: "It was part of his [the antiques shop owner's] own collection and he was just wanting to move it on.

"But he did say that he believed it was connected to the court in the Elizabethan times and would have been given to somebody who had done some sort of favour or was in favour with the court."

Fiona continued: "I was talking to our experts about this coin and there's no doubts in their minds that it's genuine, it's an Elizabethan coin, it's from the 16th Century.

"I was quite surprised to learn that it's worth about £40."

The conversation then moved to the mysterious swan's foot purse, with the guest disclosing a purchase price of approximately £400.

Fiona added: "Well I talked to our experts again about that and the thing is, no one here's ever seen one before so it's almost impossible to value.

"We had estimates ranging from £200 to £700 so £400 is probably about right."

Upon concluding, she mentioned: "Certainly, I think it wins the prize this series for the strangest thing we've ever seen on the Roadshow.

"And on that basis alone, thank you so much for bringing it in!"

Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.