MORE than 500 people went to see rare movie footage of Alexander Keiller carrying out excavation work on the Avebury stone circles during the late 1930s.

The Gazette was the first to reveal the discovery of the amateur film, which lay forgotten in a biscuit tin for more than 50 years after being shown at a children's movie session in the Red Lion pub.

Archaeologists and academics around the world have expressed excitement over the unique film showing the Scottish marmalade millionaire at work excavating the monument and re-erecting fallen stones.

Local history student Brian Edwards, who learned of the existence of the film during an exhibition of old Avebury photographs, had the celluloid movie copied on to video tape.

Mr Edwards, who lives in Devizes, has had hundreds of inquiries about the film, from as far afield as America, and people asking if they can buy copies of the video.

The researcher, who is studying for an MA at the University of the West of England in Bristol, said copies of the video would not be available for purchase.

"The videos are not available for sale but by the end of the year there will be a copy in the county records office in Trowbridge for people to watch."

The video was shown at the weekend when the exhibition of Avebury in old photographs was repeated by popular demand.