The mystery of the 'horrid old crone': Pensioner left baffled after painting of 'evil looking' ugly woman is sent to him with no explanation

Keith Webb, 82, said the parcel was addressed to him at his home in Winchester, Hampshire and was a complete mystery

An elderly Winchester couple have been left baffled after 300-year-old portrait of a "ugly" woman in a white headscarf was posted to them with no explanation. (BBC)

An elderly Winchester couple have been left baffled after a 300-year-old portrait of an "ugly" woman in a white headscarf was posted to them with no explanation.

Keith Webb, 82, said the parcel was addressed to him at his home in Winchester, Hampshire, and was a complete mystery.

Royal Mail and Parcelforce have been unable to tell Mr Webb where the painting came from.

Mr Webb said: "It's a painting of such a horrid old crone - my wife won't have it in the house.

"I have no idea of who sent it. I have taken it to the local auction house and they say it is about 200 or 300 years old and it has undergone some extensive renovation at some stage.

It's not very valuable, about £200 apparently."

Mr Webb said that his wife had felt threatened by the painting and "did not want it in the house".

"My wife thought it looked rather evil and she said 'I do not want that in the house' so in the garage it goes," he said.

Parcelforce told Mr Webb that the painting had been posted from a W H Smith store.

He added that he hoped some publicity might help identify the sender.

"It's just a total mystery," he said.