Elvis Presley crypt pulled from auction

The crypt where Elvis Presley was first buried has been withdrawn from an auction in Los Angeles.

A devoted 10,000 fans of Presley signed a petition for the crypt to be kept as a shrine and not to be sold for a minimum of £64,000 at the auction.

Presley was temporarily buried in the crypt alongside his mother Gladys for two months after he died in 1977 before being laid to rest at his Graceland home. The original crypt has remained empty since.

The lot was supposed to include the crypt itself, the right to open and close the vault for a burial, a memorial inscription and the use of Forest Hill Cemetery’s chapel for a service.

Celebrity auctioneer at Julien’s Auctions Darren Julien said the company will not sell the crypt until Forest Hills “finds a plan that best suits the interests of the fans while respecting and preserving the memory of Elvis Presley.”