A FAMILY is almost £1000 richer after discovering a teapot abandoned in a skip.

After rescuing the rare 19th century chinaware from certain obliteration in a landfill, the Monk family from Brighton took the pottery to Brighton Auction Rooms where it sold for £980, including commission.

Scott Monk, 37, said: “I was just out walking the dog and my little girl saw it and went and picked it up.

“We got it home and took a look over it and we saw what it said on the bottom.”

Keen-eyed Lucy Monk, just eight, had actually spotted a rare piece of pottery made by William Brownfield, in the potteries, in 1876.

Scott took his find to Brighton Auction Rooms where the reaction amazed all concerned,

Scott said: “It was all a bit overwhelming really, as the price went up and up. It was very exciting.”

Auctioneer Andrew Potter said: “The whole room was aghast really, this kind of thing doesn’t happen very often.

“It’s what we call a ‘sleeper’ there were gasps in the air.

“We started at £100 and very quickly it went on.

“And because we sell on the internet as well as in the room, people online were bidding against the people in the room.

“We got up to £500 and then to £700 then we had a bid form the man who won it for “750. Then the internet came back at £800, he said 850 and the internet stopped.

“It all happened so quickly.”

The final price for the teapot was £850 but with VAT and the 15 per cent commission for the Woodingdean auction house, the price paid by collector Paul Clark, from Dartford in Kent, was £980.

He told The Argus: “I’m quite a serious teapot collector, I’ve got more than 6,000.

“The plan is for me and my partner Sarah to move to Somerset and buy somewhere we can run as a B and B and maybe a museum as well, a little tea shop and teapot museum.

“This teapot was made in 1876, it’s ever so rare. It’s made with majolica glaze, and it’s in the shape of a Chinaman’s face and his ponytail is the handle.

“I’ve been collecting for 30 years, I own a lot of books about teapots - I can’t find anything about this one, it’s so rare.”

Scott’ Monk said his children, who spotted the teapot in the first place, had already earmarked what to spend the windfall on.

He explained “The kids have got plans for it already. It’s summer holidays and they’s like to go on a camping trip. And my other daughter needs driving lessons, so it’s all going to come in handy..”