A rare Beatles record looks likely to sell for more than €6,500 after it was dropped into a charity shop in the UK.

The original seven-inch demo of the band’s debut single ‘Love Me Do’ is currently being auctioned off on Ebay.

The item comes complete with a misspelling of Paul McCartney’s surname – with “Lennon-McArtney” credited as songwriters on the vinyl sleeve.

The record was dropped in to a British Heart Foundation (BHF) store in West Sussex in the UK.

Bidding on the item has already hit £5,500 (€6,400) and is due to close at 10pm tonight.

Around 250 of the records were made to send to radio stations in 1962.

The Abbey Road sign next to Abbey Road Studios in London.

On its Ebay advertisement, the British Heart Foundation said the demo was distributed just after the band was turned down by Decca Records.

"Had this demo not been sent around to all these radio stations, you may have never heard of The Beatles today," it reads.

Preston Davies, area manager at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Our teams know what to look out for in terms of rare items - so this was like finding hidden treasure.

"We have tried to find out who the donor is but we have no idea.

"However, their generosity means we can raise even more money to fund our lifesaving heart research."

The Beatles released Love Me Do in the UK on 5 October 5th 1962 and it peaked at number 17 in the British charts.

It was released in the US in 1964 where it became a number one.