Lovejoy Antiques sign exceeds estimate at Suffolk auction

Lovejoy Antiques moved around during the series, ending up at the fictional Felsham Hall

A shop sign used in the television series Lovejoy has sold for five times its estimated price at auction.

The sign sold for £1,200 at Mander auctioneers in Glemsford, Suffolk in the heart of the area where the BBC programme was set.

The series, which starred Ian McShane as the titular antiques dealer, ran from 1986 to 1994.

Auctioneer James Mander said the sign, which had been listed at £200-300, "wasn't an easy thing to price".

He said the sign, which was signed by the majority of the cast, "but unfortunately not by Ian McShane", had been sold by a couple from Framlingham, Suffolk.

It was bought by a private bidder from the Ipswich area.

Mr Mander said he was "delighted with the amount it fetched".

"It's the first Lovejoy item we've sold, but once something like this is auctioned successfully, people realise they have value and often they come on to the market."

He added that "Lovejoy-related items are always going to be popular around here".

The popular series was mainly filmed in villages and towns along the Essex-Suffolk border, including Long Melford and Coggeshall.

The Lovejoy Antiques shop moved around during the series, ending up at the fictional Felsham Hall.