The owner of an Otley country house has made thousands of pounds out of 'junk' from old stables that was nearly thrown in a skip.

The house owner had planned to hire a skip to clear the rubbish.

But a neighbour advised calling on the services of an expert valuer and as a result several items were rescued and put into a sale at Andrew Hartley's auction house at Ilkley.

The goods - including chairs, footstools and clothes - were sold for a total of more r more than £10,000.

The salvaged goods included:

lA trunk made by top designer company Louis Vuitton, which went for £1,750

lTwo rosewood footstools, £2,800

lA mahogany library chair £1,550

lSeven 1930s American designer chairs, £4,100

Mr Hartley, who said the vendor wished to remain anonymous, said: "The stuff had accumulated over ten or 15 years as the owners had used the stables as a bit of a dumping ground.

"The vendor's next door neighbour had prevented him from hiring a skip, which was certainly mooted at one time.

"We do get asked to clear out outhouses and attics and do find things of interest although it isn't every day that you find a consignment like this."

The vendor was "delighted" with the outcome of the sale, he added.

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