Admirers of Alan Turing are racing against time to keep the computer pioneer’s papers in the country.

Manchester boffin Turing helped defeat the Nazis through his codebreaking work at Bletchley Park and went on to dream up the first modern computers.

But the tragic maths genius went on to take his own life following a conviction for homosexuality in the 1950s.

Now a collection of journal papers written by Turing – described as the largest of its type – is being sold in London next week.

Auction house Christie’s have valued the treasure trove as being worth up to £500,000, sparking a race by admirers to bring them to a British museum.

Turing fan Gareth Halfacree began an internet fundraising effort days ago and has already received £15,000.

Since starting his campaign on Saturday, the computer journalist, 27, from Bradford, has secured dozens of donations after targeting hi-tech firms

He said: “Everyone was saying these papers should stay in the country but nobody was doing anything. I have been amazed at how quickly individuals and companies have been to donate but the clock really is ticking.

“I have been trying some of the big organisations, Google, Microsoft, and BT to help. It could take just one large donation to make the difference.

“We realise that time is short and the auction is just six days away but without Turing we wouldn’t have modern computers. The world would be a very different place.”

Managers at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire, now a museum dedicated to Britain’s wartime codebreakers, will make a bid for the items if sufficient cash is raised.

The papers include the Manchester University expert's most famous predictions on artificial intelligence and digital computers. They are being sold by an unknown private collector.

Little is known of how the collection came to sale, although the papers are understood to have been passed from Turing to friend Professor Maxwell Newman, who died in 1984 aged 87.

Last year, an internet campaign led Gordon Brown to issued a formal apology for Turing’s treatment.

The items – valued between £300,000 to £500,0000 – go for sale on Tuesday. More information at www.justgiving.com/turing-papers

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