Beatles fans duped by fake memorabilia

Fans of pop legends The Beatles have been duped by a plague of forged memorabilia.

Even high profile devotees have fallen victim; Tom Hanks' wife Rita Wilson is battling a dealer over a forged poster she bought for her movie star husband, and a leading expert warns 90% of Fab Four memorabilia is fake.

Frank Caiazzo, the resident Beatles expert at auctioneer Christie's, tells the New York Post: "This is a growing heartbreak that's turning up more every day. There's a never-ending supply of non-authentic signed material.

"90% of the Beatles material out there is fake." A top collector, meanwhile, urges fans to check the authenticity of items before they buy.

Brian San Souci adds: "If a dealer refuses to tell you who owned a piece, and when it was signed and under what circumstances, it's highly suspicious."