RARE treasures will return to their North-East home before they are auctioned next month.

Edinburgh auctioneer Lyon and Turnbull will sell antiques from Pallinsburn House, in North Northumberland, after the mansion was sold last year.

Several of the treasures will be on show today at the Henshelwood Gallery in Jesmond, Newcastle, including a rare George I silver teapot with the coat of arms of the Atkinson family of Morpeth, valued at £8,000, and several pieces from Jesmond Towers, now La Sagesse School, including a cabinet, bronzes and a Persian Zeigler carpet, expected to fetch up to £50,000.

Pallinsburn House, home of the ship-building Mitchell family, was sold for £6.5m this year.

The contents, valued at £800,000, are being sold by the Mitchell Estate Trust.

Fine art consultant Patrick Lees Millais, who is acting for the trust, said: "This will be the largest country house dispersal from the North-East since the sale of the contents of Callaly Castle, near Alnwick, in 1986.

"What makes it truly fascinating is that we can trace the history of one of Newcastle's most influential families through the furniture and paintings and works of art they collected over the centuries."