Colin, who works as a janitor at Rochdale Fire Station, tried to contact Sutcliffe’s family before finally getting permission from St Michael's Parish Church, Huyton.

Colin said: “Many fans visit the grave and I’ve often been and found plectrums, flags and even a Jesus medallion that they have left.

“Hopefully, more people will now visit the grave to pay their respects.”

Colin is now hoping to put up plaques in memory of The Beatles, at sites including Litherland Town Hall where Beatle Mania started.

Originally born in Scotland, Sutcliffe grew up in Huyton and met John Lennon at Liverpool College of Art.

Credited with coming up with the name, The Beatles, Sutcliffe met his fiancée through the band, falling in love with German photographer Astrid Kirchherr. After meeting Astrid, he made the decision to leave the band and return to studying painting where he enrolled at the Hamburg College of Art.

It was during an art class in Hamburg that Sutcliffe collapsed and later died in Astrid’s arms, in the ambulance.

Few of his art works have survived, although one was shown at the Walker Art Gallery, in Liverpool, as part of the John Moores exhibition, from November, 1959, until January, 1960.

Highly sought after by collectors, his work is influenced by British and European abstract artists.