Ringo Starr asks for fans help

Ringo Starr has asked fans for help – only days after saying he will no longer sign autographs.

The former Beatles drummer has issued an appeal on his website asking the public to select the best photograph taken from the audience during his recent tour.

The winning entrant will win a signed Ringo Starr drumhead. The competition closes on October 30, 10 days after the deadline Ringo has set to stop signing memorabilia.

Meanwhile, the musician has also backtracked on his vow to throw away requests for his signature, claiming he doesn't have the time to deal with the correspondence.

In a new statement, the 68-year-old star says the ban was "in direct response to an inordinate amount of items which have recently appeared for sale on auction website eBay, and to those that repeatedly send cards and items to be signed".

Ringo was "amazed" by the attention given to his message, and claims his decision was also made out of respect for the environment.

He added: "It's a waste of paper and we all should be mindful of our carbon footprint."

The drummer insists his message wasn't aimed at "real fans who have acknowledged that I have always signed items and is in fact the only Beatle to have been doing so".

In a 1991 episode of 'The Simpsons', Marge Simpson received a letter from Ringo thanking him for a painting she had sent – over 20 years after she had posted it, in which he apologised for the lateness of his response but had been too busy to keep up with his fan mail.