AN Ipswich man today said he was astounded that a chair his uncle had used to try and save lives on the Titanic had been sold for more than £33,000 at auction.

AN Ipswich man today said he was astounded that a chair his uncle had used to try and save lives on the Titanic had been sold for more than £33,000 at auction.

The chair was thrown by Charles Joughin whose nephew, Theo.

Charles Joughin was in the merchant Navy and was chief baker on the ship's first and only voyage.

He was the last man left standing on ship and tried to save as many lives as possible before being rescued.

Theo Joughin, was stunned that a chair could be sold for so much money.

"I still can't believe that a chair will sell for that much, there are some very wealthy people out there. My uncle would have been so pleased if he were alive today-to know something he did has had so much impact.

"I would like to see it go on display so that people like myself can go and see it. It would be nice if it could be in Liverpool where the real sailors are from and where my uncle is from. It is a piece of family history and something my uncle has actually touched, I would like to go and see it myself if it was somewhere over here.

"It is strange to think that something as ordinary as a chair could become such an important relic and one people are prepared to pays thousands for. I suppose it is an important story that it tells and one my uncle was an important part of."

The chair, which is emblazoned with the famous white star line emblem, went under the hammer at Aldridge's auction house in Devizes, Wiltshire and fetched £33,325. It was bought by memorabila collector Chris Lowe from the Wiltshire area.

"I'm glad I have managed to keep it in the UK," he said. "I was drawn to it because of its rarity. It's an investment."

The Titanic sank on April 15 1912 there were 2212 passengers and only 705 survivors.