A rare set of Beatles autographs worth up to £6,000 are set to go under the hammer in Wiltshire.

The collection includes a set of autographs from 1964 considered “extremely rare”, as drummer Jimmy Nicol was deputising for a sick Ringo Starr at the time.

Nicol was part of the band for just eight shows, making the autographs valuable for collectors.

The signatures are written on one of the band’s most famous pictures, taken in Paris by Harry Benson CBE, which shows them having a pillow fight.

The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald: A rare signed photo of The BeatlesA rare signed photo of The Beatles (Image: Wessex Auction House)

The photo was a gift from Mr Benson, who had it personally signed by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Jimmy Nicol and the group’s road manager Mal Evans.

Wessex Auction Rooms, at Westbrook Farm between Chippenham and the M4, will sell the collection at a specialist vinyl records and music memorabilia auction on the afternoon of Friday, April 21.

A spokesperson for the auction house said: “A truly exceptional piece of Beatles history with fantastic provenance like this will create a bidding war amongst Beatles fans from around the world.”

The autographs are estimated to be worth between £4,000 and £6,000.

Also going under the hammer will be an unreleased mix of The Beatles’ Let It Be, which is expected to sell for around £1,000.