Napoleon's coded Kremlin letter sells for €187,500

A rare letter written in code by French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte during his Russian military campaign sold at auction for €187,500 (£152,092) - ten times its estimated presale price.

The one-page letter, which was written in October 1812, boasts that his forces will "blow up the Kremlin" and was sent to a military commander in Moscow.

It was written in a numeric code used by the French ruler to throw off any would-be interceptors.

The Fontainebleau Auction House said the Museum of Letters and Manuscripts in Paris was in the process of finalising its purchase, which the auctioneer described as being "unique".