Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back script sells for £23k

A rehearsal script for the classic film, The Empire Strikes Back, has sold for £23,000 at auction.

The script for the 1980 Star Wars film was part of a collection of memorabilia belonging to Darth Vader actor Dave Prowse.

Part of the proceeds of the auction, which raised more than £400,000, will go to Alzheimer's research.

Prowse died in November after a short illness but had been living with Alzheimer's for about 10 years.

Auctioneer Andrew Stowe said more than 2,000 bidders had competed for the 600 lots which went under the hammer at East Bristol Auctions on 4 May - known as Star Wars Day.

Prowse, a former professional bodybuilder, grew up on the Southmead estate in Bristol.

Mr Stowe said the script was not just movie memorabilia but "part of world history".

A picture of Star Wars character Luke Skywalker, signed by Mark Hamill, the actor who played him, sold for £15,000.

The message on the Luke Skywalker pictured read "For David - You'll Always Be 'Dad' Vader To Me, Your Loving Son.... Mark Hamill 07".

A Star Wars cast list sold for £10,000 and a replica lightsaber also went for £10,000.

Also in the sale was a photograph with a personal message from Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia.

The message on the photograph, which sold for £8,000, read: "For Daddy Dave - My Preferred Father - Much Love, Carrie Fisher."

Mr Stowe said: "The love for Star Wars is still as strong as it was back in 1977 - and today's auction was proof of that.

"The fact that Mr Prowse was born just a few miles away from our saleroom is what made this such a special event. It really felt like his collection 'came home'."

Prowse's friend and assistant Julian Owen took about two months to sort through the items at the actor's London home.

He said it had been "an honour" to organise them, after working with Prowse for more than a decade.

Mr Owen said Prowse's wife Norma had "said from the start that she wanted some of the money raised to go to Alzheimer's Research UK".