Rescued painting fetches £23,000

A rare painting saved from a skip has sold for over £20,000 at auction.

The painting, entitled 'The Red Houses', by Irish artist Norman Garstin fetched £23,000 - over five times the estimate - at the sale in Lincoln.

James Terry, 30, from Lincoln, who had inherited the painting from his father, was about to dispose of it in a clear out but was stopped by his wife.

Mr Terry said he would have been happy if it had made £2,000 and the money would give his family a new start.

When the hammer finally went down at £23,000, I was shaking James Terry

After being rescued, the picture was taken to Lincoln auctioneers who identified it as a Garstin and estimated it would fetch up to £4,000.

Mr Terry, a windscreen fitter and father-of-four who was at the sale with his wife, said: "I couldn't believe my ears when the bidding went up and up.

"I only ever thought it would make a couple of hundred pounds at best.

"When it reached £2,000, I was happy because that would pay off all our bills.

"When the hammer finally went down at £23,000, I was shaking.

"I can't believe it's been on my dad's living room wall for 30 years and we never realised what it was worth."

He said he would spend the money on paying off the car, some home improvements and a holiday.

The painting was bought by an art dealer from Dublin.