AN auctioneer literally lost his head when he got off a train and realised he had left behind a valuable piece of art.

As Joby Carters got off and walked away from a train at Maidenhead station yesterday, he realised he had left a wax model of Sir Paul McCartney’s head on the carriage.

He had been entrusted with the piece of art work by a family friend and had taken the Reading to Ealing train service to get it valued by Peter Blake, a Beatles memorabilia expert who has a studio in Hammersmith.

He said: “It was totally out of character for me to leave something behind. It’s an absolute nightmare.

“It is so unprofessional and the owner is not best pleased, I’ve just got to find out where it has gone.”

Mr Carters is due to sell the pop star’s head at auction on Sunday, October 26, and has offered a £2,000 reward for its safe return.

It is believed the head, valued at up to £10,000, was originally on display at Louis Tussauds in Great Yarmouth and was due to be included in an auction of fairground rides and attractions.

Mr Carters said: “This is a vintage piece. The good news was it’s worth quite a lot of money, the bad news is I left it behind on the train.”

He got on the train at Ealing Broadway station and put the head, which was in a bag, under the train seat so that it was out of the way of other passengers and did not get damaged.

But when he got off the train at Maidenhead at around 3pm and realised his mistake, the train had already left.

Despite frantic phone calls to the train company to try to get it back, he has heard no word yet of the head’s whereabouts.

However, he remains hopeful.

He said: “I fear someone has seen the bag and thought they would have it, but I am optimistic it will be returned.

“I am appealing for anyone who knows where it is to get in touch.”

If you know where the wax head is, you can contact Mr Carters at info@cartersentertainment.com, or on 07767 870 775.