A MYSTERY buyer amazed auctioneers by bidding almost £2,000 for a rare and valuable letter.

The letter, which was sent to Mrs Kelly at Wolthorpe Cottage in Great Malvern 145 years ago, was expected to fetch only £1,200 at the auction in London last Friday.

It was posted at Ballinasloe in County Galway on September 30, 1858, and is of particular interest to collectors because it was written on a Mulready letter sheet, featuring a design by William Mulready of the Royal Academy.

These sheets were very rarely used after the introduction of the penny black and tuppeny blue postage stamps in 1840.

The buyer bid £1,700 for the item, and must pay a further £255 in buyer's premium to auctioneers Spink.

"It's a strong price," said Spink stamps expert Richard Watkins. "It was an interesting piece because it's a rare usage of the letter sheet.

"It indicates the market is strong for these items. With rarer items, who knows what they are going to fetch on the day?"