Bullet from gun that killed John Lennon to be sold at auction

A bullet fired from the revolver used in the murder of John Lennon in New York in 1980 is to go under the hammer in the English city of Newcastle upon Tyne on Thursday and is expected to fetch up to £2,000 ($2,500).

Auctioneers Anderson and Garland are selling the souvenir on behalf of the family of Brian Taylor, a British policeman who served with the police force of Northumbria, the region in which Newcastle is located.

Taylor was permitted to fire the weapon during a 1984 visit to the New York Police Department. He himself had come under fire while travelling in a police car during the visit, and as an apology he was shown a small police museum where the revolver was kept.

"There he was allowed to fire the weapon that fired the bullets that shot one of music's best and most beloved stars, John Lennon. The bullet and cartridge were retrieved and given to Taylor as a gift. He had them mounted and hung it on the wall of his office for the remainder of his career," the auction house said on its website.

The frame includes a photograph of Taylor in uniform holding the revolver.

The family decided that the item should be passed on to another fan of the Beatles singer, the auction house said.

Lennon's assassin, Mark David Chapman, who is now 68, is serving a life sentence.