The Beatles legend was gunned down by Mark Chapman in December 1980. But during a visit to Athens with Yoko Ono in November 1969 he was given a chilling prophecy. A local astrologer warned he would be “shot on an island” prompting the couple to cancel a planned yachting trip around the Greek Islands on a boat owned by singer Donovan. In fact he was not shot on a Greek island but an American one.

John and Yoko assumed the shooting would be on a Greek Island Nico Mastorakis

The untold story emerged as a three-minute silent film of Lennon and Ono walking the streets of Athens hours before meeting the psychic goes on sale. Filmmaker Nico Mastorakis found the footage during a clear-out of his house. He said: “John and Yoko assumed the shooting would be on a Greek Island.”

MICHAEL OCHS ARCHIVE/ AFP John Lennon was told he would be 'shot on an island' 11 years before Mark Chapman killed him

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Lennon’s widow Ono has spoken out before about the prophecy. In an interview with Mr Mastorakis in 2000, she said: “we would never think of Manhattan as an island in that context. “I totally believe that some people are psychic and the message comes through some people. “In our case, she told us that, but we were not careful in the way we should have been. “We were careful, but in the wrong way as we did not go to the Greek Islands.

HULTON ARCHIVE John Lennon was gunned down by Mark Chapman in December 1980

“The prediction may be right but sometimes they are not that useful because we are still blinded by some greater power or something like that.” The film will be auctioned at Bonhams’ Auction House on Thursday. It is expected to fetch up to £15,000. Bonhams said: “In November 1969, John and Yoko visited Athens, accompanied by Alexis ('Magic Alex') Mardas and his wife, Eufrosyne.

GETTY Lennon and Yoko Ono thought the prediction referred to the Greek Islands

GETTY Ono said in an interview "we were not careful in the way we should have been" after the prophecy

“This film, never before seen or broadcast, was shot by Nico Mastorakis on a Bolex camera. “Mastorakis had first met the Beatles when they visited Greece in 1967, later spent time with them in London and befriended John and Yoko. “When the couple came to Athens, Mastorakis invited them onto a talk show he was producing/directing for the Armed Forces Television, although the pair were hostile to the military regime which had come to power in 1967.

Unseen pictures of legendary John Lennon Tue, March 15, 2016 Musician and former Beatle John Lennon, who was assassinated on 8 December 1980. Here is his life in pictures. Play slideshow OmegaAuctions/BNPS 1 of 52 John Lennon queues for food on the set of How I Won the War