An auction house has paid estate agents a record £850,000 in commissions this year.

Clive Emson Auctioneers said it has had a record 12 months, offering 1,153 lots and selling £145m worth of property.

It made its record pay-out to agents without their own auctioneering facilities, but who effectively act as joint auctioneers.

The firm covers the south of England, running eight sets of five auctions every six weeks.

Managing director James Emson, below, said: “It has been a remarkable year – our biggest to date. Not only have we achieved record sales figures, but we have also moved into Essex and north-east London.

“We are looking to consolidate our position as the fourth largest auctioneers in the UK during 2016 and continue to grow the business organically. People come to us because we are trusted and we deliver results.”

He added: “There has been strong interest in investment properties throughout the year, a sure sign that confidence is high in the market as demand continues to outstrip supply.

“We have also seen a growth in local authority sales as cash-squeezed councils seek to generate revenue from property rationalisation. But it remains our forte to offer a completely diverse range of lots – nothing is ever too big or small.

“During 2016 we will be making a big push into our new Essex heartland, with an excellent new venue at the Chelmsford City Racecourse and a large marketing campaign.”

Among the more unusual lots offered this year by Clive Emson have been a Second World War air base control tower at RAF Winkleigh, Devon (pictured), a Cold War nuclear bunker in Chigwell, Essex, and a former toilet block on the seafront near Margate, Kent, that sold for seven times the guide price.

December’s four auctions raised £15m with a success rate of over 85% from a catalogue of 125 lots. Top lots included a former public toilet in St Lawrence, Ramsgate selling for £36,000 – three times the guide price. (What is it with old toilets?)

The first auctions of 2016 will be during week beginning Monday, February 8, with entries closing on January 11.

The company produces up to 25,000 catalogues for every auction, posted out or available through a network of over 800 estate agency outlets.

The company says this means that Clive Emson is supported by more estate agency offices than any other auctioneer’s practice.