Fans of the late Gene Pitney - who died last week of heart disease shortly after a gig in Cardiff - have been branded "money-grabbing" and "ghoulish" for expressing their dismay at the singer's demise in the traditional way - by offering any artifact they can get their hands on on eBay.

That's the verdict of UK tabloid the Sun, which reports that a ticket stub from Pitney's final appearance went for 300 quid on the internet tat bazaar. Other related memorabilia reportedly up for grabs is "a copy of the local 40p South Wales Echo, headlined 'Gene Pitney found dead in Cardiff'," - yours for £4.99 - and a "free publicity handout from the St David's Hall gig", billed as a "rare flyer" for £19.99.

A quick peruse of eBay UK did indeed reveal this sale of a Pitney last concert ticket:

Pitney's friend John Hughes told the Sun: "It's morbid, it’s ghoulish, but I suppose that's the way the world is these days. I find it strange and mercenary." ®

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