Executioner's notebooks fetch £10,000 at auction in Newbury

The notebooks list details of those executed, including their age and height

Pocket notebooks belonging to Britain's former lead executioner have gone under the hammer for £10,000.

Albert Pierrepoint executed hundreds of people during his 25-year career and was lead executioner for the Prison Service from 1940 to 1956.

The notebooks, sold by Special Auction Services in Newbury, Berkshire, list the executions he carried out.

His writings show ages, heights and weights, with the drop distance to achieve the quickest death.

Mr Pierrepoint, who was from Clayton in West Yorkshire, hanged about 200 people convicted of war crimes in Germany and Austria as well as high-profile murderers.

He died in 1992, aged 87.

The final hammer price of £10,000 does not include commission and fees.

Mr Pierrepoint detailed his executions during his 25-year career