A dentist who bought a rotten tooth that once belonged to John Lennon plans to decode its DNA in the hopes of cloning the late former Beatle.

Dr Michael Zuk from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, bought the tooth for stg£19,100 at an auction in Britain in 2011.

He has launched a project to extract DNA from the molar, and, with the hope of scientists, decode the DNA.

“If scientists think they can clone mammoths, then John Lennon could be next,” Zuk told The Examiner.

“With researchers working on ways to clone mammoths, the same technology certainly could make human cloning a reality.”

Zuk said he is nervous and excited at the possibility his team will be able to fully sequence Lennon’s DNA, “very soon I hope”.

“To potentially say I had a small part in bringing back one of rock’s greatest stars would be mind-blowing,” said Zuk.

Lennon had originally given the tooth to housekeeper Dot Jarlett in the 1960s or 1970s. The tooth has been sold via various charity outlets since then, until in landed in Zuk’s hands.

Zuk has been using the tooth to promote cancer awareness and it has featured in TV programmes about DNA.