HUNDREDS packed into the courtyard outside Otley's Bowling Green pub on Saturday for the sale of the century.

A ten foot long crocodile sold for £700, a wild boar's head for £240 and a juke box for £400.

A coffin, complete with skeleton, went to start a new life as a filming prop while various stuffed foxes picked up anything between £30 and £50.

Trevor Wallis, former landlord and owner, who together with his partner, Judith, is retiring, said the sale of items collected over 27 years went very well.

"When they introduced me at the start I fell off the trolley, there was some references made to drink, but there was none left in the place.

"Apart from that, it went exceptionally well and there is practically nothing left in the place. I don't think I've ever seen such organised chaos."

The five hour long sale, organised by Bunty Pritchard Jones, of Otley-based Yorkshire Minstrels, included 3,500 items in just under 500 lots.

Gordon Polson, a visitor to Otley from the United States, said: "There are plenty of things there I would like to take home with me, the only trouble is they wouldn't fit my suitcase and I might have trouble getting a stuffed animal head through customs."

Jamie Newson-Smith who used to work behind the bar at the pub, said: "I bought a few things, the most odd was a Coco-de-mer nut which were collected by early sailors in the 1800s for its appearance and size.

"Resembling the torso of a woman they were highly prized and considered good luck tokens for their perilous journeys. I also bought a collection of 1900s police handcuffs and the sawfish bills that used to be above the bar."

Chris Temple, a former regular at the pub, bought a framed relief map of Yorkshire.

"I've been going to the pub for years and been looking at the map for ages. I wanted to buy something and I thought the map would be the least offensive thing to bring home to my wife."

Auctioneer Ernie Sherwin paid tribute to the police, traffic wardens for their patience and Otley Fire Station and Wharfedale Farmers Auction Mart for agreeing to the use of their land for car parking.

"It was fantastic. Everything went perfectly. The sale went well, there was a good crowd of buyers, it was a good old, traditional on site sale."

Mr Sherwin, who said he had sold everything from stately homes to boxes of matches, added he had warned the owners not to be surprised.

"I told them some things they'd be surprised by what they got and others they'd be disappointed. I was a bit disappointed by the prices for the military clothing."

Trevor, who moves out tomorrow to retirement in Bradford, added: "We will be partly sad to go, but also relieved that it is all over. It's been very hectic over the last few weeks and much harder than working behind a bar."