A LETTER penned by war time Prime Minister Winston Churchill has fetched more than expected at auction.

A LETTER penned by war time Prime Minister Winston Churchill has fetched more than expected at auction.

The message formed part of an antiques and fine art sale at Abbotts Auction Rooms at Campsea Ashe, near Wickham Market, yesterday.

The letter was written by Churchill in 1959 from his home in Chartwell, Kent, to thank a Conservative volunteer, Mr Double, for his help in that year's General Election campaign.

A second letter from Churchill's wife, Clementine, also went under the hammer.

Dated October 6, 1953, the letter is typed on Downing Street-headed notepaper, arranging to meet Mr Double for a drink in St George's Hotel in Margate at 12noon ahead of a Conservative conference.

Together the letters fetched �310 and Geoffrey Barfoot, auction room manager and valuer, said the sale was very successful.

“We thought they would make around a couple of hundred pounds so they have done better than expected,” he said. “They weren't great rarities and they weren't of great historical importance but Churchill is an iconic figure - his signature still creates a lot of interest.”

Other items for sale included an 18th Century reverse painting of Charles I and a selection of Georgian and Victorian furniture.