£1 million vinyl collection destroyed in flood

A record collection found in a flooded basement in Manchester has been valued at £1 million, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Among the destroyed collection of vinyl was a rare original LP of David Bowie's The Man Who Sold The World, of which a mint condition copy can sell for between £500 and £800.

Collectors and local vinyl enthusiasts rushed to the scene to try and salvage some of the collection, which was removed from the building last week and is now thought to have once the biggest vinyl collection in the country.

MORE: 10 of the most valuable vinyl records

A friend of George, Colin White, found 90 copies of the single Just Wanna Dance by Salford band Fast Cars - each of which could have sold for around £150 - although many of them were damaged.

The owner of the collection, George Davenport, won a court case against his former landlord after flooding ruined 50,000 records. He has now moved to a new base and is rebuilding his collection - this time on CD.

The What Hi-Fi? team hopes that the records are being played in a better place...

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Adam was a staff writer for What Hi-Fi?, reviewing consumer gadgets for online and print publication, as well as researching and producing features and advice pieces on new technology in the hi-fi industry. He has since worked for PC Mag as a contributing editor and is now a science and technology reporter for The Independent.