PEOPLE who bought millennium plates in Yarm may go on to enjoy a sale of the century.

Last year's commemorative plates cost £20 each. Just 2,000 were produced for a town council scheme to mark the start of the millennium.

The price has now been reduced to £15, but a valuer says the plates are actually worth £60 each.

The town council chairman, Coun Gwen Porter, now hopes the remainder will be sold. About 1,000 are left.

After some initial criticism, councillors decided in December to reduce the price in a bid to nudge sales forward. At last week's meeting, Coun Porter said stockists felt this was a bad move.

"Shops see the plate as a collector's item and as such felt we should have kept to the original price," she said.

In the meantime, Coun Marjorie Simpson asked a Middlesbrough valuer to look at the plates. "He said that, as a limited edition, the plates were going cheap," she said. "He told me that to replace one would cost about £60.

"I came away not knowing if I should be happy or sad."

Coun Porter said: "The valuer said the plates had been very well-done and were good quality. It makes me feel happy that we have produced something of such worth and which will increase in value.

"I hope this will stop a lot of the criticism that we should not have launched this venture."

Coun David Henderson said: "These are highly desirable plates."

Coun Jake Dale pointed out: "Yes, but we still have to sell them."

Coun Porter said later that certificates would be available to back up the valuer's assessment. The plates feature an original design depicting Yarm with recognisable places all around the edge.