AMATEUR antique dealers tried to impress TV's David Dickinson with their 'bobby dazzlers' when ITV's Real Deal show was filmed in Oxford.

TV presenter Mr Dickinson — famed for his cheesy catchphrases — met hundreds of hoarders who had dusted off their family heirlooms for the recording of ITV's Real Deal at the Town Hall on Saturday.

The antiques expert was on hand to offer advice to people from across the county who had brought valuable and quirky items to the day's filming.

Each hoarder met antique dealers who gave a valuation on their artefacts, which ranged from diamond rings to pieces of pottery.

The antique owners were then made an offer by the dealer, with Mr Dickinson jumping in to give his opinion on whether it was a 'real deal' or they would be better off taking it to auction.

One of the first to receive Mr Dickinson's advice was Christine Lutman, who brought in three diamond rings.

She received an initial offer of £300 from Deddington-based antiques dealer Brenda Haller, who has worked on the show since October 2006.

Mr Dickinson stepped in to suggest the rings might be worth more in the region of £350.

Mrs Lutman said: "In my mind I had an idea of what I would accept but after he gave me his advice I had a better idea of how much further I might be able to push it. He was certainly bolder than I would have been."

A deal was finally struck for £360 for the three rings which Mrs Lutman, a librarian, inherited from her great aunts and had had in her jewellery box for 35 years.

Mr Dickinson said: "Filming the show is always interesting and deals like this one are all part of the fun.

"I get to see all manner of things and meet lots of interesting people.

"We have come to expect the unexpected — sometimes we find really valuable items, sometimes they're just quirky, but there is always something different."

Nicole Powell, a supermarket checkout assistant from Abingdon, attracted the interest of the show's dealers with her piece of Troika pottery.

She said: "I bought it about five years ago from an antiques shop and was going to start collecting 1960s pottery but have since moved on to art nouveau.

"It is probably only worth £60 to £80 but I wanted to bring it along to see what they had to say."

Mrs Haller, who balances working on the show with running Deddington Antiques Centre with her daughter Claire, said the programme had made her a worldwide star.

She said: "Because the show is aired in countries such as Australia, Spain and Cyprus, I receive emails from all over the world, and rarely a day goes by without someone coming into my shop asking me about the programme."

One of the quirkiest items which excited David Dickinson and his team of experts was a box of Roman nails dating back to between 83 and 87 AD.

The box was brought in by Wheatley Park School teacher Sarah Stickland who had been given it by her brother Ray.

The 30-year-old from Sandhills had no idea how old the nails were until the show's experts examined them.

She said: "Ray was going through things in his shed following a recent house clearance and passed me the box. Almost as an afterthought he said 'take this in and see what it is'.

"It really was a chance discovery and I only brought it along because we were intrigued about what it might be.

"We were amazed to be told it had such a history."

She added: "It has no great monetary value — I think it's between £50 and £80 — but obviously it is of great academic interest."