THE buyer of a white summer dress made famous in the Tennis Girl poster of the 1970s has been revealed.

Your Worcester News reported last year on how the dress, worn in the cheeky poster by Fiona Butler, was going under the hammer at Fieldings Auctioneers in Stourbridge.

The dress, which was made by Carol Knotts, who lived in Stourbridge in the 1970s, was sold at auction for £15,500 last July, and the buyer has now been revealed as The All England Tennis Club.

Ms Knotts, a barrister, said she was "thrilled" with the sale.

“I am absolutely delighted that the dress has been bought by the Wimbledon Museum," she said.

“It could have gone to anyone, such as private collectors or celebrities, but I am so pleased that Wimbledon considered it important enough to feature in their museum where it can be enjoyed by everyone.”

As a teenager, Carol played tennis at her local club in Stourbridge, and made the dress from a ‘Simplicity’ pattern. Her friend, Fiona Butler, asked to borrow the dress and racket — which sold alongside the dress — for a photo shoot with then boyfriend Martin Elliott.

Mr Elliott who died in 2010, sold the image rights to Athena, and the poster went on to sell more than two million copies.

Ms Knotts, who now lives in Gloucestershire, said: “Before last year’s auction, I’d had the dress tucked away in a cupboard. When I first thought about selling it a few years ago I did think about offering it to the Wimbledon museum but I really didn’t think they would be interested.

“I can’t quite believe that the dress I used to wear to play tennis in will now be part of the Wimbledon Museum collection. It’s incredible.”

The dress was sold on the day of the Wimbledon ladies’ singles final last July, and at the time was expected to make between £1,000 and £2,000.