Bidders under Munnings orders

The most spectacular collection of paintings by Sir Alfred Munnings remaining in private hands - assembled by a department store owner between 1900 and 1915 - is set to fetch up to £5 million at auction.

The 21 works by the East Anglian artist, who specialised in painting horses and sporting scenes, were collected by Charles Bunting of Norwich.

They are being offered at Christie's in London on 12 June following the death of Bunting's son.

Highlights include Coming Through The Gap, estimated to realise between £1.2 million and £1.8 million; Crossing The Ford, which should fetch up to £800,000; On the Ringland Hills, worth £500,000; and The Falcon Hill, Costessey, at about £350,000.

The paintings were unveiled in St James's today - the first time the collection has ever been seen in public.

Sir Alfred, who lived from 1878 to 1959, was one of the best known British painters of the 20th century for his depictions of racing, sporting and hunting scenes.

Born in Suffolk, he was president of the Royal Academy between 1944 and 1949 and was outspoken in his dislike of "modern art".

Mr Bunting, a friend of Sir Alfred, stood 6ft 5ins tall and weighed 16 stone.

He was known as a "gentle giant", greeting customers at his store as friends - but once famously caught a burglar at his Norfolk home, pinned him to the floor and sat on him until police arrived.