A WELL-KNOWN businessman in Blackburn is saying farewell to this country and selling more than 40 of his vintage oldies.

Ted Lethbridge, 65, who owns Lethbridge Scrap Yard, in Gorse Street, Blackburn, formerly of Pleasington, is heading for a new life in Esta Pona, Spain.

Mr Lethbridge, who is married with a daughter, started life in a council house in Blackburn with just £70 in his pocket to buy himself a lorry to start up a scrap metal business at a yard at Eanam Wharf, Blackburn.

He will be selling his unique collection of classic cars -- some dating back to the early 1900s -- through Singletons Auctioneers, at Mill Hill, Blackburn, tomorrow at noon.

The sale will include a vast array of cars, motorbikes and vintage model trains.

The collection, which Mr Lethbridge has built up over 35 years, will include all but three of his treasured vehicles, which he has shipped over to Spain.

The car collection should bring him around £1million but he said the amount was irrelevant. He is just looking forward to living with his family in sunny Spain.

Mr Lethbridge said: "I had all these cars as a sideline to my scrap metal business. I used to sell a few cars here and there and that is how my collection has grown over the years.

"My interests lie with scrap metal and property, which is where the most money is made.

"The collection is unique and some of the cars here will bring a lot of happiness to enthusiasts."

Ted's top three cars include:

A Rolls-Royce Springfield, made in America, which he bought and restored for his daughters wedding in 1992.

A Rolls-Royce Phantom One made in England. There is thought to be only one more in the world, in France.

A yellow Ferrari Mondial Convertible from the '80s

The rest of the cars on sale include a Porche 911 Targa from the '70s, three Rolls-Royce Silver Clouds, a Bristol 407, six MGBs from 1965 and onwards, a Jensen Interceptor, an Alfa Romeo Spider, an Alfa Romeo Race Car Celebrity number 10, a Van Dieman, a Jaguar Coupe B12, a Mercedes 500 SL, a Bentley R Type, a Rolls-Royce Camargue, a 1937 Fiat Topolino (Little Mouse) BBC 765.