THE former home of rock star David Coverdale has gone on sale in the North-East.

The Whitesnake front man, who also sang with Deep Purple in the 1970s, lived at Red Gables house, in Saltburn, east Cleveland, when he was a young boy.

The rock star, who achieved international fame with White-snake and sold millions of albums worldwide, was also born in the town's hospital.

The red-bricked property, where he lived for a short time, was later sold and re-opened as The Brittania pub.

It has since been taken over by an investor and refurbished to make three luxury apartments with sea views, which are on the market for about £190,000 each.

Coverdale was a vocalist with Deep Purple before quitting in 1976 to pursue a solo career. Two albums later he formed Whitesnake who had hits with Fool For Your Loving, Is This Love? and Here I Go Again, which went to the top of the US charts.

The album Whitesnake 1987 went on to sell ten million copies worldwide.

Tom Frank, of Cornerstone estate agents, which is selling the property, said: "We found out David Coverdale used to live there from people who live in Saltburn. It is a very small place and everybody knows everybody else.

"I originally thought he was born in the house, but we had lots of calls from locals who said he was born in the local hospital, but that he had lived there."

The estate agent's advert for the top-floor apartment states that the flat "would more than suit a man of his stature today".

Any Whitesnake fans with a few pounds in the bank will have to move fast if they want to buy a piece of rock history.

One of the flats has already been sold and another is available for rent.

"We have had a lot of interest," said Mr Frank.

"It is quite possible a Whitesnake fan could snap it up."