Painting by Rudolf Hess fetches £1,250 at Lincoln sale

The painting is believed to be a scene from Hess's childhood in Bavaria

A painting by Adolf Hitler's former deputy Rudolf Hess has been sold for double what experts predicted at an auction in Lincolnshire.

The landscape was given to former RAF gunner Roland Davis, who guarded Hess in prison in Berlin after the end of World War II.

Mr Davis' son Peter sold the painting, with other memorabilia from his father's time in the war, for £1,250.

The items had a guide price of £500 to £800 at Unique Auctions in Lincoln.

Unknown bidder

The painting, signed by Hess, is believed to depict a Bavarian scene from the Nazi official's childhood.

Other items in the collection included a helmet, gas mask, flight records and medals.

A spokeswoman from the auction house said she was not sure about the identity of the successful bidder.

At the Nuremberg Trials, Hess was sentenced to life imprisonment, and spent 40 years at Spandau Prison, where he died in 1987.