A PROPERTY tycoon has turned to witchcraft to help his beloved Burnley FC win promotion to the Premiership.

John Sullivan, who is a club director, paid a record £4,600 for a pottery plaque of a witch at an auction in Chester.

Now he hopes to persuade chairman Barry Kilby and fellow directors to put the figure of Old Meg, based on one of the 17th Century Pendle witches, in the boardroom so it work its magic on the team.

John, 60, bid as he travelled with his wife, Annette, to join the QE2 in Southampton for a Mediterranean cruise.

The antiques lover saw the figure from the PenDelfin pottery -- a local firm best known for its ornamental rabbits -- was up for sale only hours before setting off on Saturday.

The auction was packed with buyers for a special sale of PenDelfin figures, with John pipping another telephone bidder in Canada for the witch.

"I don't collect PenDelfin ware but when I noticed Old Meg was for sale I thought it should go back to Burnley," said John.

"We have had a bit of bad luck this year and I think if she goes on show in the club she may cast a few good luck spells for us next season."

He added: "I have arranged for a driver to collect the plaque and I will be contacting the chairman and directors to see if I can put it in the boardroom. "The highly-prized figure is one of only four of Old Meg made by the pottery, founded in 1953 by artist Jean Walmsley Heap and Jeannie Todd.

It was originally sold for less than £1 and has been identified by the artist, now in her 80s living in Cumbria, as one she hand-painted and signed.

The auction was held by Stella Ashbrook, a world expert of PenDelfin figures. She said: "One of the Old Meg plaques has never been sold at auction before but it is certainly a record price for such a piece.

I am over the moon it should be going back to Burnley.

"I do hope it will give the team a lot of luck."

In January the Evening Telegraph reported the Clarets director bought the oldest title in Scotland, making him a neighbour of the Queen.

It is thought he spent up to £1million to become Baron of Braemar and Lord of Kildrummy, which he bought for his son Paul.

John said he bought the titles to stop them falling in to foreign hands but would not be calling himself a baron.