WHEN this Worcester businessman splashed £84,000 on Margaret Thatcher's famous robes, little did he know it'd cause ripples around the world.

Now this small slice of British political history is demanding attention from rich Asian magnates - with people from Korea and Japan offering Neil Westwood the chance to nearly DOUBLE his money.

Your Worcester News can reveal how investors in the Far East have been contacting him offering sums as high as £150,000 to take it out the country.

Mr Westwood, who runs his award-winning company Magic Whiteboard in the city, took part in an auction just before Christmas to land the Iron Lady's peeress robes she wore in the House of Lords.

The garment, which features smeared lipstick on it that Mr Westwood believes may belong to the dead former Prime Minister, was up for sale in London at a guide price of just £1,200.

Since buying it for £84,480 he's had one offer from Japan for £100,000 and a South Korean businessman suggest £150,000.

But rather than spark a bidding war he says he wants to keep hold of the robes 'Maggie' made famous, hoping it will help his company.

"These robes have never been out of this country, they've only been in London in the House of Lords and clearly they value all of that history," he said.

"I know Margaret Thatcher was very popular at the time in countries like Japan, their way of life is very authoritarian, no messing about, hard work and I think they shared a lot of her values.

"The funny thing is, I made my bid on the spur of the moment really, I was only doing it on the phone.

"But we're actually going to Japan in July, to a trade exhibition in Tokyo and we'll be the only British people there, so we want to use the robes to attract people to our stall.

"We are hoping it really helps us, so I'm not selling it."

The robes were auctioned off by Christie's Auction House in London and at the time there was considerable interest from other countries, including from an American.

Mr Westwood, who runs his firm from Blackpole Trading Estate, also says since taking ownership of the robes he's found the number '360' on it, her peer number in the House of Lords.

"It's incredible, this is the only one in the world and she inspired me a lot," he added.

Mrs Thatcher, who died in April 2013 aged 87, was British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 and led the Conservative Party for 15 years.

She was handed a life peerage in 1992.