TWO star lots which were expected to fetch thousands of pounds at auction have not been sold after failing to reach their reserve prices.

A collection of 215 letters written by the gangster Reggie Kray and the jersey worn by Scotland's Jim Baxter in the national team's 2-0 win over England at Hampden in 1962 went under the hammer at McTear's in Glasgow last night.

But despite the wealth of history behind the two pieces of memorabilia, no bidders went over the reserve prices for either lot during the Furniture and Works of Art Auction.

Brian Clements, managing director at McTear's. said: "Overall it has been a successful sale with many items fetching prices well above their estimates.

"Although there was interest in the Reggie Kray letters and Jim Baxter jersey, both lots did not reach their reserve prices and therefore did not sell on the night."

Kray's letters were written during his imprisonment in HMP Maidstone and they detail conversations between the gangster and his ghostwriter Carol Clerk as they worked on his autobiography Born Fighter.

Notes could not be taken during prison visits, so the gangster wrote down his thoughts and posted them after meetings.

The collection of letters had been valued between £10,000 and £15,000.

McTear's had previously said that they had never seen anything going under the hammer relating to the Kray brothers which was on the same scale as the correspondence.

Baxter's jersey, which had been valued at £4,000, was said to have been one of the rarest pieces of Scottish football memorabilia to come to auction in recent years.

It had been expected to attract interest from the sport's fans at home and abroad. It was being sold by Robert Ross, who had said it was "time for someone else to get enjoyment from this fantastic piece of football heritage".