Kray twins paintings sold at Woking auction

PAINTINGS by the Kray twins have been sold at an auction in Woking.

The two landscapes, painted and signed by the late Ron and Reg Kray whilst in prison, fetched a total of £1,200 at Ewbank Clarke Gammon Wellers (ECGW) auctioneers yesterday.

Ron Kray's work of two figures fishing fetched £750 while Reg Kray's  was sold for £450 at the auction house.

Ron's painting was produced during an art class in March 1971 while he was serving time at HMP Parkhurst on the Isle of Wight.

The back of his artwork features a menacing doodle of unhappy faces floating in a stream, as well as a tea mug stain.

Reg's work of art was produced in 1972.

ECGW auctioneer John Snape said the paintings were consigned by an inmate who sold them to buy cigarettes.

He said: "I can only describe the paintings as quite childlike. They are very naive landscapes with little figures. If they didn't have the providence or the signatures they would be worth very little.

"All the value is in the notoriety of the people that painted them."

The works are two of a collection of paintings by the Krays who terrorised gangland London in the 1950s and 1960s.

It is the second time ECGW, in London Road, Send, has held an auction of the notorious twin brothers' works.

"The paintings that we have seen are normally little landscapes with houses and little figures. They're actually a little bit twee," said Mr Snape.