A TEDDY bear once owned by notorious gangster Reggie Kray is among items being put on sale today by a Bradford man.
The owner bought the bear, as well as other possessions - a painting and letters - relating to Kray, from their previous owner, who also lived in Bradford.
He bought them at an auction in 2011, but feels the time has come to sell them.
“I purchased some of Reggie Kray’s possessions as an anonymous buyer at a Leeds auction in 2011. I bought them as I felt they were part of history and they were also linked to a Bradford lady," says the owner, who wants to remain anonymous. "I was fascinated by the teddy bear - the thing I found most fascinating is that Reggie Kray had a teddy bear. Being such a well-known gangster, he had a teddy bear. I don’t know if he made it himself at some stage, or if it helped him through prison, but he sent it to a Bradford lady. I thought, this bear is part of history - the East End of London, with a link to Bradford.”
In the 2011 auction the letters and painting by Reggie Kray were auctioned for the first time, along with the teddy bear.
The 24 letters were written to a Bradford woman, known only as Janet, who befriended him in the late 1980s. They were written while he was serving a life sentence for the gangland murder of Jack ‘The Hat’ McVitie.
Kray stabbed McVitie to death in a north London flat. His identical twin brother Ronnie was also convicted of the murder and in 1969 they were sentenced to not less than 30 years in prison.
Ronnie Kray, upon being certified insane, was committed to Broadmoor Hospital in 1979 and remained there until his death on March 17, 1995 from a heart attack.
Reggie was released from prison on compassionate grounds in August 2000, five weeks before he died of bladder cancer.
The seller humorously placed the teddy behind bars for a photograph.
The collection of Reggie Kray memorabilia - the letters, painting and teddy bear - will form part of a live auction on Saturday (November 11) at 4pm at NEC, Birmingham, B40 1NT. It is lot number 305.
The auctioneer’s website says: ‘Giving an insight into the mind of one of the most famous criminals in the UK, these items are on offer for only the second time.’
The guide price is £2,500 to £3,500 plus buyer's premium of 20 per cent plus VAT (24 per cent including VAT).
For more details of the auction and to register to bid visit iconicauctioneers.com
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