A row over the ownership of a royal charter has been peacefully resolved.

The seal was granted by Queen Victoria, in 1846, to allow the tiny dales village of St John's Chapel, County Durham, to hold fairs twice a year.

When the vellum document emerged, the southern-based auctioneers believed a reference to St John's Chapel was the name of a church in Stanhope.

It was not until after a local history group, the Weardale Society, bought the seal unseen for £833 that members realised the document was issued for the village further up the dale.

The society was considering presenting a copy of the seal to Stanhope Parish Council and keeping the original in the county archive.

But Ian Scholes, chairman of Upper Weardale Town Council, in St John's Chapel, stepped in and demanded that the seal was returned to its rightful home.

In a conciliatory gesture, the Weardale Society last week presented framed copies to both Stanhope Town Council and Upper Weardale council.

Mr Scholes said yesterday: "We still haven't established correct ownership in one sense, but we have a copy now."

Society secretary June Crosby said: "It's a nice resolution and the original is in the county archive, available for public exhibitions, and is as safe as anything can be for all time. I think it was a satisfactory conclusion."