RARE letters and pictures of Ulverston-born movie star Stan Laurel sold at auction today for thousands of pounds.

The group of 11 items offered by Nottingham's International Autograph Auctions made a total of £4,580.

A signed photograph by Stax and dated 1930 made the top price of £800.

Many of the items had been personally written and sent to Stan Laurel's friend Teddy Desmond and his wife Gertrude.

Mr Desmond lived from 1888 to 1962 and was Stan's first comedy partner when they appeared as a music hall act called Barto Bros.

Stan Laurel lived from 1890 to 1965 and found Hollywood fame with another comedy partner, Oliver Hardy.

Among the auction items was a 1913-dated letter by Stan which sold for £700.

It features a picture of the comic who described himself as "Dude and low comedian".

A bidder was ready to pay £650 for picture postcard from 1913 signed in his birth name of Stan Jefferson.

A spokesperson for the auctioneers noted that this was: "An exceptionally rare form of his signature with his real name."

A pair of photographs showing Stan Laurel's home at Bedford Drive, Beverley Hills, California, sold for £110.

An unusual signed photograph of him holding daughter Lois sold for £200.

Lois was born in 1927 and the picture is believed to have been taken on the set of the movie Below Zero.