A cigar butt discarded by Winston Churchill and picked up by a policeman has sold for more than £4200 ($7670).

The item, which was cast aside by the British wartime leader in the 1940s, went under the hammer on Wednesday.

The seven-centimetre-long butt caused a stir at the auction after being expected to sell for as low as £800.

The previous owner’s grandfather, Arthur Church, served as a policeman at Scotland Yard in the 1940s.

While he was on police duty escorting Mr Churchill, the Prime Minister smoked a cigar and Mr Church picked up the discarded butt.

Prime Minister Winston Churchill addresses British troops in the old Roman amphitheater at Carthage, #Tunisia, on June 1, 1943.#History #WWII pic.twitter.com/D0Y64b4XxZ

— World War II History (@WW2Facts) May 22, 2021

On Wednesday, the item drew significant interest and sold to a UK private collector for a £3500 hammer price, rising to £4270 with buyer’s premium.

It was sold by Bellmans auctioneers, based in Wisborough Green, West Sussex.

The high price for the cigar butt shows the enduring taste at auctions for items once owned by Mr Churchill.

In March, a pair of his luxury velvet slippers sold for nearly £40,000.

-AAP