HUNDREDS of people have turned out to bid for items from the Fred Dibnah Heritage Centre today.

Buyers from across the country congregated at the Bolton Sea Cadets base in Castle Street as 440 items were auctioned off.

The auction, run by Cheshire-based company Adam Partridge in conjunction with machinery specialists Ashley Waller Auctioneers, started at 10am and is expected to run until about 4pm.

The items had previously been a part of the Fred Dibnah Heritage Centre, which closed its doors for the final time in 2015.

The museum, which is based at Fred's former home in Radcliffe Road, opened in 2010 and has given the people the opportunity to see the house, shed, tools and stay overnight.

However, last year, owner Leon Powsney revealed he was planning on closing the centre and selling off the beloved steeplejack's possessions.

Some of the items auctioned off included steam engine Kathleen as well as a Cincinatti lathe and the boiler from steam engine Betsy, which has been converted into a wood burner.

Bidders also joined in online for the auction, which started with smaller items, including Fred's spanners and drills, before moving on to the more valuable items.

Steam engine Kathleen, which has been refurbished, had a starting price of £1,800, sold for £4,000.

A Victorian pneumatic hammer, valued at between £400and £600, sold for £3,600.

Auctioneer Roy Waller described it as 'a sad occasion', but added: "We've had some good prices. There are some discerning buyers here but the Fred Dibnah effect creates a lot of demand on some items."