Anger at UK auction of Ronald Reagan's blood
An investigation is under way into how a vial reportedly containing US President Ronald Reagan's blood has come to be sold at auction in the UK.
The five-inch vial, said to contain a sample of the president's blood taken at the George Washington University Hospital after an assassination attempt in 1981, is being sold on an online auction site.
Bids are already up to just over £9,000 on the online auction with Guernsey-based PFC Auctions, which is due to finish on Thursday evening.
'Craven act'
But the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation has condemned the sale, saying it will use "every legal means" to stop it.
Executive director John Heubusch said: "If indeed this story is true, it's a craven act and we will use every legal means to stop its sale or purchase.
"We've spoken to GW Hospital and are assured an investigation as to how something like this could possibly happen is under way.
"Any individual, including a President of the United States, should feel confident that once they enter into the care of a medical system their privacy and rights are held inviolable."
According to the listing, dried blood residue can be seen clearly in the vial, which has a label showing his name, patient identification, his doctor, date of admission and a date of birth, which is said to be incorrect on the label.
Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr on March 30, 1981 as he was leaving the Washington Hilton Hotel after addressing a group of union officials.
A letter with the vial from the seller says it has been in their family for years - their mother worked for Bio Science Laboratories in Columbia, Maryland, which handled blood testing for the hospital.
The letter said: "Her lab did the blood work and testing for President Reagan. The test tube and the lab slip that I have are for his blood work to be tested for lead on [Monday] 03/30/1981.
"The testing was completed and the test tube was sitting on my mother's desk.
"At the end of the week, she asked the director of her laboratory if she could keep the paper work and the test tube. The director of the lab told her no problem and really never gave it a second thought. It has been in my family ever since.
"My mother passed away back in November last year [2010] and my father passed away in January 2009. Prior to their passing, they knew that it was the only thing that I wanted with regards to their personal property or money that they accumulated over the years..."
The seller claims to have previously contacted the Reagan National Library offering to sell it, but when asked if he would like to donate it, decided to sell it.