Collection of 'high-end hoarder' George Withers sold in Frome

It took specialists a month to clear George Withers' house of its valuables after he died

A three-day auction has taken place to sell 2,500 items from a "bizarre" antiques collection.

It belonged to George Withers, an antiques dealer from Bath, who died last year. For more than 50 years, he bought many items which interested him.

"George was a dealer that couldn't let the best things that he acquired go, they just stacked up," said auctioneer Mark Allum, from Dore & Rees.

The total collection could be worth more than £2m.

It runs to some 10,000 items, which are being sold in stages due to the sheer volume of the collection.

The next group of 1,500 items will be sold at Wincanton Auctions on Wednesday.

The auction house received a lot of inquiries about the Egyptian sarcophagi

Mr Withers grew up in Charfield, Gloucestershire, buying his first antique grandfather clock at the age of 14.

He ran antiques stalls in London and Bath but was mainly known as someone who was reluctant to sell the treasures he bought.

Among the highlights sold in the past three days were two Egyptian sarcophagi for mummified lizards.

"It is hoarding on a mega sale, but this is high-end hoarding.

"George was an amazing collector. He filled up his house with so much stuff that he couldn't live in it any more," Mr Allum said.

Dozens of pocket watches have also been auctioned off

Some of the 15 grandfather clocks and 20 barometers on sale were described as "the tip of the iceberg".

"It is sad to see it going, the sadness is that George never got to enjoy the fruits of his collecting.

"The joy is that we are liberating it, and new collectors are finding things they thought they'd never own," Mr Allum added.

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