A NORTH-EAST expert in popular culture crowned years of research into the sinking of the Titanic by finding a rare copy of the last photograph taken of the ill-fated vessel, and then getting it signed by the last known survivor.

Geoff Pattison, a member of the British and American Titanic Societies, travelled to Stevenage to meet Millvina Dean, who was nine weeks old when she was taken aboard the Titanic at Southampton in April 1912.

Ms Dean, now 93, was guest of honour at the stage production of Titanic the Musical.

Mr Pattison, of Stanley, County Durham, who lectures at Northumbria University, said: "Over the years I have collected a vast amount of memorabilia relating to the Titanic.

"Earlier this year, I was in Cobh, then known as Queenstown, Ireland, which was the last port of call for Titanic.

"I wanted a photographic souvenir and could not believe my luck when I saw a rare copy from the original negative by the renowned photographer, Father Browne.

"Getting Millvina to autograph it has been the highlight of my career."

Millvina joined the Titanic with her parents and elder brother Bertram as third-class passengers. They were to emigrate to Witchita, Kansas, where her father hoped to open a tobacconist's.

When the ship hit the iceberg, Ms Dean was saved by being lowered into a lifeboat in a mailbag to join her mother.

Her brother escaped in another lifeboat, but her father, along with 1,500 others, died.

Ms Dean returned to England on the ship Adriatic and became so famous that passengers queued to hold her because she was the youngest survivor.

Mr Pattison said: "Millvina is in great demand all over the world, and in 1997, was invited to board the QE2 to sail to America to complete her family's voyage to Witchita, Kansas.

"It was a great honour to meet this remarkable lady. In an age of so-called celebrities, here is a real one worthy of the title."

Coincidentally, Mr Pattison was given a copy of a boarding pass that belonged to Ms Dean when he visited the Titanic exhibition in London.

He said: "Every visitor gets given a boarding pass when they enter the exhibition and are told when they leave, depending on the name on their pass, whether they have "survived" the sinking or not.

"It was an astonishing twist of fate that I should be given the pass belonging to Millvina Dean."