Star Wars exhibition will bring the force to Leicester

Parts of the collection have been seen before, but the museum says this is the largest showing

The first major exhibition of one of the UK's largest collections of Star Wars toys has been announced.

Leicester's New Walk Museum is showcasing the private collection of a fan who grew up with the films.

"May The Toys Be With You" includes figures made by Palitoy in nearby Coalville, as well as posters and unpublished artwork.

The museum's Philip Hackett said: "This comes on 4 May, Star Wars day, which reflects the impact the films have."

Figures show subtle differences between versions of the same character

Mr Hackett said: "It is a classic tale of good versus evil which is part of the fabric of our lives.

"Everyone knows how Yoda speaks, how a wookie speaks, what a lightsaber is.

"And with the Coalville link, it also represents an important part of local history."

The collection includes the earliest posters

Each year, 4 May is unofficially adopted worldwide as "Star Wars Day" due to its similarity to the movie's catchline May the Force be with you.

An estimated 300 million Star Wars action figures were produced between 1977 and 1985.

Sales of toys were even greater than of cinema tickets for the original film

This marked a new era in marketing film as sales of merchandise outstripped even the box office record set in 1977 by the first instalment of the Star Wars saga.

The exhibition will open in July.