RECORDS were broken at an auction house in Winchcombe which enjoyed its best sale yet last week.

The sale room was packed last Thursday' at British Bespoke Auctions, based in The Old Boys' School, Gretton Road, as a bidding war broke out for two antique Tibetan figurines of Buddha.

One of the items, estimated to fetch up to £80, sold for £23,000 while the second sold for £90,000 after it was estimated to fetch between £80 and £120.

Auctioneer Nick Granger said it was their best sale to date.

"It was amazing," he said, "It was our record sale, more than twice our best sale so far. It just goes to show the power of the internet.

"We had record numbers of enquiries the week before the sale. Judging by that we knew we had something special.

"It was wonderful. The room was full of dealers, collectors and Oriental buyers."

Both items, which were inlaid with semi-precious stones and are up to 300 years old, came from a local seller who had kept them under a desk after inheriting them from an uncle.

"They were over the moon," added Mr Granger.