AN OIL painting by a Lancashire-born artist fetched more than £50,000 at auction.

The Cricket Match attracted the highest price of four privately-owned paintings by Helen Bradley sold at Bonhams Auction House. It sold for £51,750 -- more than double the expected price.

That made the painting one of Bradley's most valuable -- it is believed to be sixth on the artist's bestseller list.

Another of Bradley's paintings, Oh the Pot Market's Arrived, fetched £30,550. On the Morning After the Royal Visit to Manchester got £11,163 and Midsummer in Alexandra Park sold for £3,290.

Keith Lee, a partner in the Bolton company which manages Helen Bradley's work -- Miss Carter Publications, in Silverwell Street -- called the paintings "naive and delightful" and said he was thrilled with the money her work had raised.

He said: "It is wonderful. She was very well known and her paintings were always happy and humourous -- and we can all benefit from that.

"They brought a lot of pleasure into people's lives and still do. I am not suprised they have gone for so much, because when people own them they rarely want to get rid of them."

Helen was born Nellie Layfield in the village of Lees, near Oldham, in 1900, only changing her name in 1974 .

The mother-of-two only began painting at the age of 65 to show her seven grandchildren what life was like when she was a child.

She had work displayed across the world, including Los Angeles, and was praised by famous Salford artist Lowry.

She died in July 1979, shortly before she was due to receive an MBE from the Queen.