First James Bond film poster sells for £15k at auction

A poster from the first ever James Bond movie, Dr No, has sold for £15,000.

It was among more than 400 cinema posters on sale in what auctioneers said was the "largest cinema poster auction in Europe this year".

It took place at Prop Store in Chenies, Buckinghamshire, with buyers around the world placing bids online and by phone.

The poster, which features an image of Sean Connery among scantily-clad women, had been estimated to fetch up to £10,000.

It was illustrated by US artist Mitchell Hooks and was used to promote the 1962 film.

The sold poster is said to be "unrestored, folded with neat single pin-holes to corners but otherwise in superb condition".

Mike Bloomfield, poster expert from Prop Store, said the piece came from a British collector of James Bond posters.

The expert said some of the posters which were for sale were "uber rare".

One of the rarest, according to Mr Bloomfield, was from the 1964 film Carry On Cleo.

The poster, which was a "spoof" of the earlier movie Cleopatra, was banned following a case at the High Court brought by the production company behind Cleopatra, the poster expert said.

It was estimated to be sold for between £2,000 and £3,000 but the final bid was £5,000 at Tuesday's auction.

As well as printed posters in the auction, there was also original cinema poster artwork.

Original artwork from Meet The Fockers, which starred Robert De Niro, Barbra Streisand and Ben Stiller, sold for £3,125.

Other posters in the auction were from films such as Star Wars, Doctor Who, Thunderbirds and Quadrophenia.

A spokeswoman for Prop Store said the auction was "the largest auction of cinema posters in Europe this year".

The estimated total for the entire auction was £170,000 - but many items sold for more than their estimates.