A first edition copy of 'Frankenstein' was among a collection of rare books sold by auctioneers for £7.1 million.

The Mary Shelley classic, which was published in 1818, sold for £856,000 - the highest price ever paid for a work by a female author.

Auctioneers at Christie's had expected the book to sell for as much as £219,000.

The sale was the highlight during a sale of the literature collection of Theodore B Baum, an American former telecoms tycoon who died last month. Works from Charles Darwin and Shakespeare also went under the hammer.

Christie's added that the copy of 'Frankenstein' was "exceptionally rare" which increased its value for collectors.

A spokesman said: "The first edition in its original boards is incredibly fragile and as a result very scarce, so a copy like this, particularly in fine condition, is highly desirable to collectors." 

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