70s star says auctioneer from Bargain Hunt has sold some of her keepsakes without permission (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Movie star, Sally Thomsett, has spoken out against a Bargain Hunt auctioneer who she claims sold some of her memorabilia without consent.
In a comment to the press and a series of messages on social media, the actress who starred as Phyllis in the 1970s film The Railway Children said that keepsakes from this movie were sold without her permission.
Detailing the items, the 70s star claimed that movie and TV programme scripts, fan letters and royal premiere tickets, publicity images, and even a personal diary were flogged.
The sellers of the collectable items in question, Nesbits Antiques Auctions are managed by John Cameron, who has appeared in BBC One shows Cash in the Attic and Bargain Hunt.
The 74-year-old told The Sun: ‘No one attempted to contact me with regards to this sale and I am devastated as it is a large part of my history that cannot be replaced.
‘As far as I knew they were in a suitcase of memorabilia and memories of my career. Obviously, I don’t check its contents regularly.’
The actor also appeared in Straw Dogs and Man About the House (Picture: Fremantle Media/REX/Shutterstock)
The Railway children is based on the book by Edith Nesbit (Picture: Everett/REX/Shutterstock)
Speaking on Twitter, the star told her followers: ‘Hi, I’ve have some bad news. My possessions from The Railway Children have been sold without my knowledge at auction by John Cameron at Nesbits Auctions Ltd.’
The actress also tweeted: ‘Thank you for all of your kind messages, John Cameron is occasionally an expert on @BBCBargainHunt he seemed to be a decent man, I can’t believe he’d do anything like this, obviously I’m wrong. I will never watch it in the same way again.’
Nesbits ‘entirely refutes’ the allegations from the actress, claiming that the items were from a home owned by one of Sally’s ex-husbands which a purchaser bought in 1987.
Auctioneer John commented: ‘We have no reason to dispute that.
‘We are currently considering the matter with the assistance of legal advisers given the open accusations made against our firm and against me personally.’
The star was 20 when the film was released (Picture: Studio Canal/REX/Shutterstock)
Although her character in The Railway Children was 11, the star was actually 20 when she played Phyllis. Jenny Agutter, who played Sally’s older sister Bobbie in the film was also two years younger than her.
Because of her age, when the film was being promoted, Sally was forbidden by producers from revealing her true age and wasn’t allowed to be pictured smoking, driving, or drinking.
Sally with Jenny Agutter in The Railway Children (Picture: Studio Canal/REX/Shutterstock)
Speaking to Express in 2019 she said: ‘I’d just bought a new red sports car which I wasn’t allowed to drive,’ adding, ‘and I had a boyfriend at the time and couldn’t be seen out with him.’
The star moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s but moved back to the UK in the 1980s. The star was twice married and has a partner of 20 years named Paul and a daughter named Charlotte.
Metro.co.uk has contacted John Cameron for comment.
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