WHILE team GB continues to rack up a historic haul of medals, an Olympic relic has sparked a quest to discover who was given it more than 100 years ago.

June Guild inherited a commemorative medal from the 1908 London Olympic Games from her father, Jim Benton, who spent years collecting artefacts from antique shops.

June, 81, kept the medal attached to a thin silver chain in a cardboard box, along with the rest of her father’s collection, after his death in 1964.

However, since the start of the 2012 Games, and with the eyes of the world trained on London, June has been inspired to find out who it belonged to.

June, of Old Leigh Road, Chalkwell , said: “I would love to know the story behind who was given it.

“I hadn’t really given it much thought, but when I saw the Olympic opening ceremony, it jogged my memory.

“I showed it to a few people, who said how lovely it looked and they urged me to find out more about it.

“My dad was a great collector of coins and old Army stuff, and used to go to antique shops in Canvey and Benfleet .” The medal, given to all participants, depicts a horse and chariot as well as an angel. It was designed by Bertram Mackennal, who created all the medals for the 1908 Games.

The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896 and it came to London 12 years later. She added: “It is a shame to keep it hidden in a box. I was not that interested in it when I was younger, but now I would like to find out more about it. I am sure someone knows something about it.

“I think Great Britain are going to do really well in these Games and it is great they are back in London.”