Sandwich is likely to keep its newly-discovered Magna Carta.

The 715-year-old document is expected to bring an upsurge in tourism to the town.

The town council meets on Monday to decide whether to sell the artefact, which could be worth millions, but Mayor Cllr Paul Graeme is sure the majority will vote to keep it.

He said: “The people of the town are absolutely delighted that it’s here because it’s going to make a real difference.”

He thought the town’s profile would be raised internationally. A tourism boost is expected this year when a travelling exhibition by Visit Kent will be on show in Canterbury, Faversham and Maidstone. Now it is also expected to come to Sandwich.

The document was found in Maidstone by historian Dr Mark Bateson, stuck between two pages of a Victorian scrapbook, while he was searching for the town’s Charter of Forest.

Dr Bateson said: “This has come into the mix obviously at the 11th hour.

“What we were hoping was ... that we could get this alongside the Faversham Magna Carta and have them next to each other, which would just be fantastic.”

The Magna Carta was the document that established the rule of law when it was conceived under the reign of King John I in 1215.

The Sandwich edition was stamped in 1300, 85 years later, but it is still an original.

Cllr Graeme has not been told when it will be available to come back to Sandwich. He said: “We had a conversation with Faversham this afternoon (Tuesday) because if we’re going to keep it there’s got to be a special cabinet that costs about £10,000 and there will be a substantial annual insurance premium.”

Sandra Matthews-Marsh, chief executive of Visit Kent, said: “This is an incredible treasure.

“We already have the Canterbury Magna Carta and the Faversham Magna Carta and can now add a third charter to our already fascinating story.”