Titanic key for auction

A tiny key which could have saved the Titanic will go for auction in Devises, Wiltshire, on September 22. It has been described as "one of the most important artefacts from the ship to have come to light".

The key to the ship's crow's nest binocular store survived the 1912 sinking of the vessel which killed 1,522 people because it was not on board.

Instead, it was with David Blair, the Titanic’s original second officer who was transferred off the ship shortly before she set sail on her fateful maiden voyage.

Blair realised too late that he had the key and kept it as a memento.

One of the ship's lookouts, Fred Fleet, said binoculars would have allowed the crew to spot the iceberg which sunk the ship and given them time to "get out of the way" despite it being dark.

The key and a postcard Blair wrote to his sister shortly before the Titanic set sail are expected to fetch £70,000.