A nice little earner

Arthur Daley’s camel coat and trilby hat from the ITV series Minder has sold for £12,000 at auction – ten time its estimate.

They were worn by George Cole playing the role of car dealer Daley in the series that aired between 1979 and 2009, and came up for sale at the Special Auction Services sale on 23 February at its saleroom near Newbury, Berkshire. It sold to a Minder fan in the room.

Included in the same sale were a black cashmere coat that was worn during the series – and sold for £5400 – and a grey three-piece suit that realised £1680. The first ever Minder script, Gun Fight at the OK Launderette, which aired on 29 October 1979, sold for £540.

‘We’re delighted,’ says SAS’s Alan Pritchard. ‘ There was tremendous interest in all the lots and fierce bidding in the room. It is a real testament to George Cole and his iconic character.’

www.specialauctionservices.com