Paintings sold at at auction by a former Keighley MP have fetched more than quarter of a million pounds.

Ten of the 15 watercolours entered in the auction -- at Christie's in London -- by Sir Marcus Worsley were sold, together netting £275,686.

The paintings, by 18th-century landscape artist Francis Towne, had been bought by Sir Marcus's late father Sir William for a total of about £2,000 around the late 1940s/early 50s.

Biggest-earning lots at the auction were 'Town of Lugano' and 'Waterfall between Chiavenna and Mount Splugen, Switzerland', which each realised £71,700.

Sir William -- who died in 1973 --- was a huge collector of Towne paintings, and in 1950 provided an entire exhibition of works to the city art gallery in York.

Landowner Sir Marcus (pictured above), 78, is the Duchess of Kent's brother and was Tory MP for Keighley between 1959 and 1964.