The Egypt's Antiquities Ministry has challenged the sale of a 4,000 year old statue by Northampton Borough Council. The Sekhemka statue of a priest or court official said to be worth up to 6 million ponds, is due to go for auction at Christie's in London today. The Cairo based ministry, dedicated to recovering antiquities, has collected petition signatures from Egypt, the UK, Belgium and Canada, to stop the sale. The council said Egypt had no claim on the statue and the sale would go ahead. The sale of the statue is to help fund a 14 million ponds extension to Northampton Museum and Art Gallery.