Pallade Veneta - Harrison Ford's 'Star Wars' script fetches £10,795 at UK sale

The script was used when Ford was filming the first instalment of the epic saga, originally entitled "The Adventures Of Luke Starkiller", at Elstree Studios north of London.

The fourth draft of the screenplay, dating from March 15 1976, was snapped up by an Austrian collector when it went under the hammer at Excalibur Auctions in Hertfordshire, north of London.

Ford left the script at the London flat he rented at the time along with shooting schedules, which sold for £4,826, and a letter from an agent or friend, which sold for £177.80.

The landlords renting the property found the items and kept them for over 50 years.

The incomplete and unbound script contains revisions, and introduces Hans Solo on page 56.

The 1977 film catapulted Ford to international fame and he starred in sequels "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) and "Return Of The Jedi" (1983), before taking on the role again in "The Force Awakens" (2015).

"Although other copies of this script have come to market previously, this sale saw a new record set for a Star Walker script, which shows how a personal link to the items is so enticing to Star Wars fans," said Excalibur Auctions' auctioneer Jonathan Torode.

"The personal provenance makes them totally unique. We hope they will be as treasured by their new owners as much as they were by the previous ones."

L.Bufalini--PV