£1,650 paid for note signed by Winston Churchill

A rare wartime letter signed by Sir Winston Churchill sold for more than triple its asking price in front of a packed Shrewsbury auction house.

Dozens of potential buyers fought it out for the chance to own the typed war letter from Britain's leader during the Second World War which finally went under the hammer at Halls' Christmas collective auction yesterday.

A number of internet, telephone and in-house bidders made offers to win the lot before it finally went for £1,650 under the watch of fine art director Jeremy Lamond. The guide price was £400 to £600.

Auctioneers at the Welsh Bridge showroom in the town warned people of significant interest prior to the 585-lot auction which was finally snapped up by a telephone bidder.

The letter, dated October 14, 1940, and addressed to the President of the National Farmers' Union, refers to agricultural price levels, food production and the impact of the Second World War.

It reads: "I need not tell you that the food production of our country is, at this hour of supreme crisis, one of the vital factors in our ability to resist and overcome a formidable enemy."

Each page of the letter is mounted with the Prime Minister's crest and address.