Family photographs and documents owned by the My Left Foot star were listed in an upcoming sale at Bloomsbury Auctions in London on 4 September (15), alongside a scrapbook purportedly containing Day-Lewis' in-depth research into his film roles.

The items reportedly came into the possession of the seller through a house clearance, but Day-Lewis' representative condemned the sale, telling Britain's Daily Mail newspaper, "They are his personal items... It's so wrong in so many ways. I hope whoever owns them will give them to him."

The spokesperson also cast doubt on the authenticity of the scrapbook, adding, "He did not write it (the scrapbook)."

The lot containing the items is no longer available and a message posted on the auction house website states it "has been withdrawn from sale."