A treasure trove of Star Wars memorabilia belonging to a west London fan who died tragically young has gone under the hammer.

Ben Griffiths, who grew up in Shakespeare Road, Acton , amassed a huge collection of figures, cards, posters, masks and games relating to the film franchise.

These masks were part of Ben Griffiths' huge Star Wars collection, sold by Chiswick Auctions

The former dustman and pet shop worker stored the hoard in his father's loft in Northolt , and it was only after he died of a brain tumour in 2014, aged just 34, that his family realised how much he had accumulated.

'He watched Star Wars almost daily'

Ben's family sold the collection, which included many items still in their original packaging, through Chiswick Auctions.

READ MORE:What's the Millennium Falcon doing on the runway at Heathrow?

The 28 lots, several of which consisted of numerous cards or toys, between them went for around £2,500 at the auction on June 14 - with one Boba Fett figure selling for £290 alone.

Ben's Star Wars collection also included this Rancor Monster figure

Ben's brother-in-law Darren Clifford said: "Ben had been Star Wars mad since he was a very young child, watching the original film almost daily.

"He had all the toys whilst growing up and started adding to his collection in his early 20s, often travelling far and wide to attend exibitions."

READ MORE:Star Wars themed pop-up restaurant opening in secret London location