McCartney: 'Eleanor Rigby didn't exist'

Paul McCartney has crushed hopes an important piece of Beatles memorabilia has been unearthed - he insists he made the Eleanor Rigby character up.

A payslip dating from 1911 and featuring a household maid named E. Rigby from Liverpool, is to be auctioned off amid claims it provided the original inspiration for the famous song.

An advocate for disabled children believes she was sent the document after appealing to McCartney to donate money to a children's charity.

But the singer has potentially dashed Annie Mawson's hopes of a bumper payday - he has admitted he made up the title character of the classic song.

McCartney says: "Eleanor Rigby is a totally fictitious character that I made up. If someone wants to spend money buying a document to prove a fictitious character exists, that's fine with me."

The payslip is due to go on sale in London later this month along with music memorabilia including guitars owned by Cliff Richard and Sex Pistols star Glen Matlock.