The adventurer Ben Fogle claims he has found a sought-after, notorious political artefact the so-called "Ed Stone" in the garden of an upmarket London restaurant.

A large stone tablet engraved with former Labour leader Ed Miliband's 2015 general election pledges has been spotted in the outdoor area of The Ivy Chelsea Garden.

The discovery of the stone has raised questions over its authenticity leading some to believe it is a replica.

The much-mocked original was last known to have been stored at a warehouse in Woolwich as of May 16 2015, before reportedly being destroyed.

This remarkably similar stone bears six promises below the words "A Better Plan. A Better Future" and is buried among foliage in the outdoor dining area.

Adventurer Ben Fogle tweeted: "Look at what I just discovered in a hidden, overgrown corner of Chelsea. Do you want it back @jeremycorbyn #edstone".

The restaurant's owners, Caprice Holdings, said the tablet had been purchased shortly after the election.

A spokesman for Caprice Holdings said: "We bought the stone a couple of years ago at a charity auction.

"We thought it would be fun to have Ed's Stone, which was such an iconic image of the election, and put it outside in the garden," he added.

The whereabouts of the original became a mystery after the Tories swept to power in 2015 and a national newspaper set up a hotline for sightings, while there were also reports of several replicas.

The stonemasons who made the original eight-foot limestone block said they believe it had been "smashed" and they have not been commissioned to make another one.

Steve Vanhinsbergh, co-owner of Stone Circle, also said the slab was unlikely to have been strong and stable enough to be installed in the restaurant garden.

Mr Vanhinsbergh, who said he was previously under a non-disclosure agreement, said: "I'm 99% sure it's smashed. It was not returned here, but I know it was smashed because I know the man who smashed it.

"The original was too big - it was three metres tall. You could not lift it without a crane. It was 400kg.

The tablet helped land Labour a £20,000 fine from the Electoral Commission after the party omitted two payments totalling £7,614 relating to the eight-foot block of stone from its election campaign spending return.