A letter written by Mahatma Gandhi to the British authorities in 1943 arguing against wasteful expenditure of putting him under house arrest has made it to a UK auction.

The typed letter, signed by Gandhi and written from the Aga Khan Palace in Pune during his detention by the British forces, is expected to fetch between £10,000-15,000 when it goes under the hammer in Shropshire on February 14.

Experts have described it as "an incredibly important document in world history" because it also signifies Gandhi's final emergence as the one man who could achieve the long-awaited independence for India.

Richard Westwood-Brookes from Mullock's Auctioneers, who are handling the sale, said the letter is being sold by a man in India who was a freedom fighter with Gandhi.