A collection of 3,000 toy cars, trucks and trains built up over 50 years sold at auction for £227,000.

Retired car dealer Raymond Hainsworth, 78, did not expect to make a fortune on the sale as he has paid top prices for the highest-quality toys that included Dinky, Hornby and Tri-ang that were not 'play worn'.

It is thought more than half of the 2,000 lots that were sold over three days at the auction in Thornaby, Teesside, would go abroad.

The star of the sale was a black and white Dinky lorry in the Corn Products livery which was produced for the company as a promotional item and was not on general sale. A collector paid £6,960 including commission.

Mr Hainsworth and his wife Pat started collecting when their twins Ian and David were babies and their first Christmas was spent surrounded by a new train set.

It grew as the couple travelled to auctions and fairs all over the country until the display cabinets took up two rooms of their home.