Lost paintings by Spanish masters Francisco Goya and El Greco have been unearthed by police.

Goya's 18^th century La Aparición de la Virgen del Pilar and El Greco's 16^th century La Anunciación, which had been missing since the late 1990s, were found in a house in Alicante.

The paintings went missing as they returned to Spain following an international exhibition.

The search intensified last autumn after police received information about the potential sale of the paintings, which had been placed on a global database of stolen works.

Goya’s Bajar rinendo made £2.2m in 2008

Goya's work has a habit of disappearing but can command huge sums when it reappears.

In 2008, three drawings that had not been seen since 1877, sold for a combined £4m at Christie's. The leading piece was Bajar rinendo, a sketch showing four women fighting, which made £2.2m.

The majority of the works by Goya and El Greco are owned by Spanish museums, making these two pieces of especial interest to potential investors.