'Keep calm' posters estimated to sell for £6k

The posters were created by the British government to be used in World War Two in the event of a severe crisis

Three original World War Two posters proclaiming "keep calm and carry on" are expected to raise more than £6,000 when they are sold at auction.

The iconic poster was created by the British government in the build-up to the war to be used in the event of a successful invasion by the Germans.

The three examples in different sizes were formerly the property of a police officer who was based in Suffolk just after the war ended.

Newcastle-based auctioneer Anderson and Garland said the posters being auctioned on 4 July "encapsulated a pivotal moment in British history".

Auctioner Fred Wryley-Birch said the posters encapsulated a pivotal moment in British history

The poster was one of three motivational designs created by the British government's Ministry of Information before the war began in September 1939.

The other two posters stating "your courage, your cheerfulness, your resolution will bring us victory" and "freedom is in peril" were widely distributed during the early months of the conflict, the auctioneer said.

But the "keep calm" posters were held in reserve "to be used during severe crises" so the design was "never publicly displayed during the war", director Fred Wryley-Birch said.

"It is thought that many found the first two entries of the series to be patronising or insulting, which was the cause of nearly all of the 2.5 million posters being pulped down for re-use," he added.

Mr Wyrley-Birch said it was believed to be the first time the "complete set" of "keep calm" posters in three different sizes had been sold at auction.

"They encapsulate a pivotal moment in British history and stand as an inspiring message from the past," he said.

The smallest poster is estimated to sell for up to £1,200, the middle one to reach £2,000 and the largest for up to £3,000.