MEMENTOES once-owned by Hollywood screenwriter James Hilton from Leigh fetched more than £30,000 when they went under the hammer in America.

The sale, which took place at Christies in Los Angeles, was hailed a success by auctioneers after 96 per cent of the items went for more than the set minimum price.

The biggest catch was a typed manuscript of Lost Horizon signed by Mr Hilton. It sold for $27,600, about £17,000. It eclipsed the $19,550 bid - around £12,000 - for two draft manuscripts of Random Harvest, titled Rainier on the 700-page documents.

And a typed letter to Mr Hilton, signed by former President Franklin Roosevelt fetched $2,760, or £1,700.

The author's inkwell went for $805 (£500), four typed letters signed by the former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt were snapped up for $345 (£200), a letter from Mr Hilton to producer Harry Ackerman sold for $230 (£140) and a signed photograph fetched $575 (£350). Only three items did not sell - a college portrait, 36 volumes of his work, and an archive of manuscripts of Hilton's later works.

A signed galley proof, which was expected to fetch around $20,000 (£12,000), was withdrawn.

The auction house refused to give details of the purchasers although it is thought the majority were American buyers.

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