Lincoln Knights Trail sculptures sold in charity auction

Dozens of life-sized knight sculptures that made up a popular tourist trail have sold for just under £180,000 at a charity auction.

The 36 horsemen of the Lincoln Knights' Trail were created to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the Battle of Lincoln.

On display in the city since May, they had attracted thousands of visitors.

Two thirds of money raised from the auction will go to Lincoln-based homeless charity the Nomad Trust.

Knight of the Skies is inspired by the heroes of Bomber Command

The sculptures had been on display at different parts of Lincoln to encourage people to explore the city

The Knight of the Skies, which was signed by George "Johnny" Johnson, the last surviving British member of the Dambusters raid, was the highest selling sculpture at £15,000.

It was bought by its sponsors Game Engineering and will be based at the city's International Bomber Command Centre .

The sculpture's artist Rosie Ablewhite said: "This particular knight seemed to have a huge following and it's fantastic that he raised so much money.

"I've grown quite attached to him but he's not going too far so I'll still see him."

The Robin Hood Knight sold for £9,200

Artist Rosie Ablewhite's shock at how much her knight sold for was captured at Saturday night's auction

The auction, at Lincoln Cathedral on Saturday night, raised a total of £178,000.

Rachael Baxter, from the Nomad Trust, said the money would go towards building a day centre for the homeless.

"At the moment we only have a night centre and having to close the doors on a morning to people who desperately need help is incredibly difficult," she said.