Suspicious minds... Police Hunt For Elvis Hoard’s Owner

A valuable hoard of Elvis memorabilia has been discovered by police while raiding an Edinburgh home.Lothian and Borders Police appealed to the public yesterday to help trace the owner of the items, which include signed pictures of the King and rare posters of his early gigs and were valued by some experts at more than £4000.

A gold Elvis record and framed show bills were also found, along with a copy of the lyrics to Don McLean's hit American Pie, thought to have been written by the singer himself.A police spokesman said the stash was recovered from an Edinburgh city-centre property during an unconnected raid, but would not confirm reports that this related to alleged drug dealing.

The most valuable item shown to the press by police yesterday was a bill poster advertising a concert at the Mosque venue in the American city of Petersburg, Virginia, in February 1956.Elvis appeared there with a backing band called The Blue Mooners and it is believed the poster could fetch up to £3000 at auction.

Other items include a gold-plated RCA gold disc from March 1956, which is listed as one of just 3700 ever produced, and a signed, framed photograph of Elvis in his US Army uniform shortly after being drafted.A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police said: "The value of the items is not known, but they look genuine and if they have been stolen then we hope that the original owner will recognise them and contact us."