Images of Beatle John Lennon on a Bermuda beach have sparked another legal battle between his widow Yoko Ono and a former assistant.

Ms Ono is now suing Fred Seaman for selling intimate family photos of the Lennon's last few months.

It is the second time the pair have clashed - in 1981 Seaman was sacked after stealing Lennon's diaries, letters, artwork and unreleased recordings.

He pleaded guilty to theft in 1983 but sparked Ms Ono's anger again when he tried to claim credit for a picture of Lennon and son Sean on the Bermuda beach, believed to be Elbow Beach.

The image was used on a boxed set of Lennon's music and Seaman threatened to sue but Yoko said the image was not his.

Her stance was described as a paranoid overreaction by Seaman.

Lennon spent several weeks in Bermuda staying at a plush home near Spanish Point and writing his 1980 comeback album Double Fantasy - named after a plant he saw in the Botanical Gardens.

Lennon hung out in local bars during his stay and was often seen on the beach playing with his young son.

The subsequent album featured Bermudian drummer Andy Newmark but Lennon died soon after it was released.