The force has been with a Star Wars stormtrooper's helmet as it sold at auction for around five times more than expected.

Made for the 1977 film, it was valued at between £3,000 and £5,000 but fetched £19,387 amid frenzied bidding.

One of the auction's star lots, a Superman suit, remained firmly grounded and failed to sell.

The red and blue outfit worn by actor Christopher Reeve in the 1978 blockbuster had been estimated to make between £8,000-£12,000, but bidding never reached the undisclosed reserve on the costume.

The highest bid was for a Rolex watch worn by George Lazenby as James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

It went for £22,912 but had been valued between £5,000-£7,000.

Film fans flocked to Christie's in London for the auction house's annual sale of film and entertainment memorabilia.

An Imperial Stormtrooper's blaster gun fetched £3,760.

A spokeswoman for Christie's said they were delighted with the results of the sale despite the failure of the Superman suit.

"It was one of our most successful for a few years in this category," she added.

Also featured was a collection of British award-winning costume designer John Mollo, including his original costume designs for Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Alien.

There were pieces from the late actor-turned editor Peter Hunt's collection, including his working scripts for all of the 1960s James Bond films.

Prices included the buyer's premium.

Source: Press Release