A child's dress made entirely of contraband from a Welsh school has apparently been sold at auction for £170,100.

The multicoloured outfit, made by a woman in Prestatyn, traded on eBay has been fashioned from by loom bands - tiny loops of colour elastic which can be linked together to create a chain-mail effect.

It is not known whether the latest in a series of eye-watering bids for the UK-registered item is genuine.

However, it attracted offers from suitors across the globe, before the virtual hammer came down on the lot this evening.

The loom bands used to make the dress, which comes in a size 4-6, typically retail at less than one penny each.

They are often linked to make low-cost jewellery, such as necklaces and bracelets.

But their appeal among children has seen them suffer the same fate as yesteryear school crazes Pogs and yoyos - being banned from many playgrounds by teachers who deem them distracting, or the cause of quarrels between pupils.

Others have said they are keen to enforce "no jewellery" dress codes, and say loom bands do not comply with rules.

Loom bands' popularity have surged in recent weeks, having been worn by the likes of The Duchess of Cambridge and pop star Harry Styles.

The lot was placed online a week ago with a starting price of £50.

That quickly soared past the £100,000-mark, although the winning bid was posted five days ago.

The winner will have to pay an additional £7 postage, the vendor said.