George Orwell book sells for £86,000 - 25/03/2010

A rare first edition copy of one of George Orwell's best-known works has sold at auction.

The mint condition Down And Out In Paris And London sold for £86,000, despite being given a guide price of between £2,500 and £3,500, according to the Press Association.

Gorringes Auction House in East Sussex, where the lot was sold, believed that figure could be a record.

Aaron Dean, the auction house's book specialist, said that the book had been expected to sell for much more than the guide price, but revealed that even the adjusted expectations had been surpassed.

He said: "This one was an absolutely brilliant copy. The dust jacket had a little bit of wear and tear but, when you took it off, the book was in mint condition.

"I knew it would do well, I had a lot people who were hugely interested in it and the consensus was that it would reach somewhere between £30,000 and £40,000."

George Orwell's real name was Eric Blair.