A COLLECTION of Royal Worcester figures from a county farmhouse is expected to make a staggering £35,000 at auction.

The collection of 54 lots was due to go under the hammer today at Halls Fine Art auctioneers, in Shrewsbury.

No other lots have been accepted for the specialist sale, as single-owner collections are still considered unusual.

The auction has attracted widespread interest, with collectors from as far away as South Africa preparing to battle it out when bids are placed.

Halls Fine Arts recently made headlines in the antiques trade after selling a rare salt-glazed stoneware mug, believed to have been modelled on Bonnie Prince Charlie, for £26,500.

This Royal Worcester collection mostly includes animals modelled by Doris Lindner in the 1970s and 1980s.

The top lot, a model of circus horses, was expected to achieve up to £4,000, while a figure entitled In the Circus, depicting a girl standing on three circus horses, was set to raise about £2,000.

The rest of the pieces were expected to fetch between £200 and £1,200 each.

The items came from a farmhouse near Bewdley and were entered for auction after the owner died.

Halls Fine Art spokesperson Duncan Foulkes said the collection was expected to do well.

"Most of the pieces were kept stored away and haven't been on display, so they're in excellent condition," he said.

"The auctioneer has said it's an excellent collection and, considering it's very modern, they are high prices, as Doris Lindner is highly collectible," he added.

The auction was due to start this afternoon at the Welsh Bridge saleroom, Shrewsbury.

Similar single-owner sales have seen the saleroom packed to the rafters, and the auctioneers were expecting a good turnout, while many bids were also likely over the telephone.