A rare signed copy of a book by the enigmatic figure known as Lawrence of Arabia has sold for more than double its initial valuation at auction.

The copy of T E Lawrence’s The Seven Pillars of Wisdom went under the hammer for £42,050 at a sale in Edinburgh. The book, originally valued at £20,000, was sold to a private buyer.

On the outbreak of World War I, Thomas Edward Lawrence was recruited by army intelligence in North Africa and worked as a junior officer in Egypt. In 1916 he was sent to meet Arab leaders and, after negotiations, it was agreed to help Lawrence lead an Arab revolt against the Turks. The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, published privately in 1926, was his account of the Arab revolt. (PA)

Tiger kills seven in India

A tiger prowling for food has killed seven people in northern India in the past two weeks, forcing thousands of terrified villagers to stay inside while hunters try to kill the animal.

The tiger’s latest victim was a woman whose body was found in a forest in Uttar Pradesh state, said Rupak De, the principal chief conservator of forests. The tiger, a female, has been on the prowl across an area spanning some 130km.

“A hunt has been launched to kill the tigress that has turned into a man-eater,” De said. “It must still be hungry as it has been running without rest and adequate food.”

A government official in Moradabad, said,  “Three hunters have been hired to kill the tigress.”

The tiger is believed to have strayed into the area from Jim Corbett National Park. (AP)

Wrong body in casket

A woman wants answers after discovering the wrong body in a casket that should have contained her mother, who died while on holiday in St Maarten.

Lisa Kondvar and her family discovered another woman’s body in the casket at a New Jersey funeral home last month. The body of her mother, Margaret Porkka, had been prepared at a funeral home on the island.

The family proceeded with the wake, with the casket closed, because they discovered the mistake just before calling hours were about to begin.

She added that a cause of death for her mother has not been provided and the death certificate issued in St Maarten listed her as a man. (AP)

Cat’s drainpipe ordeal

A cat that spent at least three winter days in a northwest Ohio drainpipe was finally rescued after initially refusing attempts to lure it out with tuna, the classic call of “here, kitty, kitty,” and even a mobile phone app that meowed.

The Courier newspaper reported a resident in Findlay heard the cat’s cries and groundsmen at a school cut through the pipe to free the orange cat, which was muddy, emaciated and hypothermic.

The male cat has been named Piper. It has a broken leg and other injuries. A veterinarian who treated the cat said: “If they truly have nine lives, he probably has three left.” (PA)

No Freudian slip

Thieves have tried to steal the ashes of the founder of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud and his wife Martha.

The burglars “severely damaged” the ancient urn that contained the couple’s remains when they attempted to take it from Golders Green Crematorium, north west London between New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, police said.

The urn dates back to the third century BC. (PA)