Images kept in a photobook for nearly 50 years sell for £220,000 at an auction

The love affair with The Beatles continues with the sale of a collection of never before seen photographs at an auction at Christies in New York.

Taken at a Beatles' gig at the Washington Coliseum in 1964, the images have been sitting in Mike Mitchell's photobook ever since.

They were snapped by Mr Mitchell when he was a teenage fan of the Fab Four, at a time when access to the band was easy.

As such, some of the black and white pictures reveal intimate close-ups of the history-making pop band.

One particular photograph, a backlit shot of the band, which sold for an astonishing £36,000, looks certain to be a "classic" shot of the band such is its iconic composition.

Christies told reporters: "The concert given at the Washington Coliseum was part of a defining moment in the Beatles' career, and it remains both an important event and a notable place in their story. And Mike Mitchell was there to capture it."

In total, 50 images were sold at prices over the initial estimates.