Oscar Wilde letters smash antique price guide

Revealing letters written by Oscar Wilde have beaten their antique price guide after they went under the hammer for more than £30,000.

The five items - which had previously been collectively valued at £10,000 - were sold at Bamfords Auctioneers in Derby.

Alan Judd, from the company, told the Independent that the pieces, from 1887, were in perfect condition.

He added: "Letters from Oscar Wilde are very rare, particularly at this time as he wasn't writing great plays and novels but very trite little pieces for ladies' magazines."

Mr Judd noted that Wilde was penning the pieces in an attempt to get a meeting with Alsager Richard Vian.

Reports have suggested that the documents were written at a time when the poet was struggling with his homosexuality and one of the notes - penned to magazine editor Vian - concludes: "Till Thursday night. This is all wrong, isn't it. Truly yours, Oscar Wilde".