A rare Beatles record of the band's debut single Love Me Do is likely to sell for more than £4,000 after it was donated to a charity shop.

It is unlikely the previous owner had been aware of its value before they donated it to a British Heart Foundation (BHF) store in Midhurst, West Sussex.

The original seven-inch demo comes complete with a misspelling of Paul McCartney's surname, with songwriters "Lennon-McArtney" credited on the vinyl.

Image: The original demo of Love Me Do is set to sell for more than £4,000. Pic: British Heart Foundation

The BHF is auctioning the record on eBay and all the money will go to the charity.

A team of experts from the foundation has said the record is extremely rare and is expected to raise a considerable amount.


Bidding on the item reached £3,900 this morning and is due to close at 10pm tonight.

The record was one of only 250 that were made in 1962 to be sent to radio stations, just after the Fab Four had been rejected by the Decca record label.

Preston Davies, area manager at the British Heart Foundation, said: "Our teams know what to look out for in terms of rare items - so this was like finding hidden treasure.

"We have tried to find out who the donor is but we have no idea.

"However, their generosity means we can raise even more money to fund our lifesaving heart research."

The Beatles released Love Me Do in the UK on 5 October and it peaked at number 17 in the charts.

It was released in the US in 1964 where it became a number one.

The British Heart Foundation raises funds for research into heart and circulatory disease.