In a drama worthy of the great Bard himself, a Croydon pensioner has been vindicated as literary scholars finally accept that a lost play was indeed largely penned by Shakespeare.

Eric Sams from South Croydon had been labelled a crank and a "pesky gnat" by academics who refused to believe that a little-known Elizabethan play was the work of William Shakespeare.

But now after exhaustive computer-based language analysis, the experts have been forced to come round to what the 72-year-old former civil servant has been saying for years - Edward III, a tale about the 14th century warrior king - is mostly from the Bard's hand.

Mr Sams, who spent time in the army deciphering ciphers, told the Guardian from his Arundel Avenue home: "I have known that Edward III was by Shakespeare since I retired 20 years ago.

"I feel I should be overjoyed but I am absolutely used to being rejected by everyone.

"Bits are certainly Shakespeare and the other bits are by the same person - therefore all of it is by Shakespeare."

Although the literary establishment is still slightly behind Mr Sams in attributing all the play to Shakespeare, he is confident that the tide is moving his way.

"Gradually everyone is coming round to the view that Edward III is from Shakespeare.

"I am sure that in the next millennium it will be taken on board 100 per cent," he said.

The breakthrough for amateur scholar Mr Sams came with the play's inclusion in the new Arden Shakespeare edition - renowned as being the definitive Shakespeare collection.

The "lost" historical play has been dated to 1592 or 1593 and concentrates on the first half of the Hundred Years War.

Edward was famed for his military prowess against both the French and their Scottish allies during the 14th Century with crushing victories at Crecy and Sluys.

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