Dali spent several years in Paris from 1929

A Spanish waiter who left his Salvador Dali engravings in the back of a Barcelona taxi has had them returned by his cab driver, say reports.

The engravings by the famous surrealist are worth an estimated 18,000 euros (�12,700) and were accompanied by the artist's 1966 illustrated version of Alice in Wonderland, according to La Vanguardia newspaper.

The driver put an advertisement in the local press to find the owner, although waiter Sebastia Verdaguer says the taxi owner did not realise the significance of the works.

"He didn't think the affair was that important. He saw the engravings bore Dali's signature but he didn't know if they were originals and had no idea of their value," said Mr Verdaguer.

Spain will celebrate the centenary of Dali's birth in May 2004 with a series of exhibitions including lesser known works by the artist.

Along with Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro, Dali was one of Spain's greatest painters of the 20th Century.

His most famous works include Swans Reflecting Elephants and The Persistence of Memory.

Well known for his flamboyant lifestyle and handlebar moustache, Dali died in 1989 aged 84.