AN ancient Egyptian sarcophagus believed to be more than 3,000 years old has sold for £13,500.

The 6ft tall sarcophagus, was found by Mark Stacey, from Colchester’s Reeman Dansie Auctioneers, during a house clearance in north Essex last month.

Experts had expected it to fetch between £4,000 and £6,000 at auction, but an online bidder forked out £13,500 during a packed auction yesterday.*WEDS* Robert Pott, an auctioneer at Reeman Dansie, based in Severalls Business Park, said: “It was very busy indeed.

“We were knee deep in people and of course we had the internet.”

A unusual Victorian corkscrew, made from a pillar in the Old London Bridge which stood for 656 years, also smashed experts’ target of between £400 and £600 by fetching £40,000.

The 20cm item was bought by a “European collector”.

Mr Pott added: “I think the zeros might have been in the wrong place when it came to that item.

“We did not expect that at all.”