A MUSEUM is to make a televised appeal for information on the whereabouts of valuable jewellery which was owned by the last Tsarina of Russia.

The Royal Pump Room Museum, in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, is eager to unite two sets of gifts which were presented to twins in the town 108 years ago.

Princess Alexandra of Hesse, who was later to marry Tsar Nicholas II, visited the town in 1894 for treatment for sciatica, staying in the West Park area at the home of local plumber Edwin Allen.

Shortly after she arrived, Mr Allen's wife gave birth to twins and the princess, seeing it as a good luck omen, requested that the youngsters be named after her and fiance Nicholas.

In the years that followed, she showered the two children with a wealth of jewellery, cutlery and crockery, much of which was donated to the Royal Pump Room in 1994 by Nicholas Allen's son, Michael.

However, it has now emerged that hugely important items have gone astray over time.

Alix Allen married and moved away from the area to live in Scotland.

The whereabouts of Alix's share of the presents remains a mystery and the museum is now planning to make an appeal on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow for information.

Curator of human history, Barbara Blakeson, said: "It is a touching story and it would be wonderful if we could reunite the two sets of gifts."

The programme is due to be shown on Saturday, April 14.