Wax models of the heads of all four Beatles have been sold for £81,500 at auction.

The valuable figurines were made at Madame Tussauds and borrowed for use on the iconic cover of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Tussauds previously thought that they had lost the heads, but they were recently discovered in a store room by staff.

"They're incredibly rare. Obviously there are various Beatles heads but these are on the most famous album cover of all time," said a spokesman for auctioneers Cooper Owen.

"These heads truly represent a slice of music history. We're delighted their value was recognised by the lucky buyer," added Louise Cooper, creative director at the auction house.