A SUFFOLK man is today waiting to see if a tape found in his attic is a one-off studio recording by The Beatles.The reel-to-reel tape is believed to be a recording of The Beatles rehearsing with a backing band in the 1960s and has been in pensioner Vernon Warburton's possession for 34 years without his knowledge.

A SUFFOLK man is today waiting to see if a tape found in his attic is a one-off studio recording by The Beatles.

The reel-to-reel tape is believed to be a recording of The Beatles rehearsing with a backing band in the 1960s and has been in pensioner Vernon Warburton's possession for 34 years without his knowledge.

He only realised what a potentially exclusive recording he had when his wife put her foot down and declared he must clear out the attic.

Joan Warburton said: "There is so much stuff in the attic that I worry sometimes it will fall through into the living room floor.

"I don't go up there because there is so much clutter that you can't move but I finally had enough and asked him to clear it out."

Mr Warburton, 70, of Samford Place, in Sproughton believes the tape came from an advertising salesman who used to bring tapes to him when he owned The Grafton Arms pub, in Holloway, north London in the 1970s.

The tapes normally contained adverts, which Mr Warburton would play in between songs in the pub.

He said: "It must have been a mix up when he brought this tape to me and neither of us realised what it contained at the time.

"You can imagine my shock when I played it and realised who it was. First there is talking where the band members are having a break in rehearsals and then they start playing all the songs.

"I am really thrilled to own such a marvellous piece of memorabilia."

John Lennon can be heard telling jokes to the backing group on the tape before 18 songs are played.

The song list includes Money, She Loves You, She's Got The Devil in Her Heart, She Loves You and Please Mr Postman and Roll Over Beethoven.

Mr Warburton added: "I am not a huge Beatles fan and am more into classical music but I remember John Lennon's chauffeur selling a similar thing for about £60,000 so I know it is a rare find."

Mr Warburton's find comes just weeks after a British holidaymaker found a lost collection of Beatles memorabilia at an Australian flea market.

Fraser Claughton, 41, from Kent found a battered suitcase near Melbourne. It containing photographs, vinyl records, concert programmes and a reel-to-reel tape marked Not For Release.

If Mr Claughton's tape with four-and-a-half hours of recorded material is found to be original, experts believe it could be worth up to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Mr Warburton has taken his tape to Bonhams auctioneer house, on Boss Hall Road, Ipswich, and is waiting to hear back from them whether it is an authentic tape.

A spokeswoman for Bonhams said: "We will send the tape to a specialist who will investigate it on behalf of the owner.

"If it is authenticated then it will definitely raise the value of the piece. An auction house would certainly not be able to sell it on his behalf unless it is authenticated."