Ananova:

A lock of John Lennon's hair has been sold at auction to an unknown bidder for £24,000.

It was part of a collection of Beatles memorabilia owned by former Beatles' hairdresser Betty Glasgow.

The lock was accompanied by a hand-written note saying "To Betty, lots of love and hair, from John Lennon xx."

Mrs Glasgow, now in her 70s, trimmed the Beatles' mop-tops during filming for A Hard Day's Night and Help in the 1960s.

The lot had a guide price of £2,000 to £3,000 but bidding skyrocketed at the Gorringes auction house in Worthing, West Sussex.

Francesca Collin, of Gorringes, said: "It is astonishing that there is still so much interest in the Beatles and the sale goes to prove that John Lennon is still an icon.

"To have some of Lennon's hair along with a signed note from him really does give it fantastic provenance and authenticity.

"Collections of this kind are rare and the hair in particular is a real one-off for Beatles collectors. Betty kept their moptops in trim and over time they became quite attached to her."