Life-size Dalek no match for Doctor Who superfan David

But for Doctor Who superfan David Knill, a full-size extraterrestrial mutant in his spare room fulfilled a childhood dream.

From the outside, his is a standard terraced house in Thornhill Lees – but upstairs lies an extraordinary hoard of memorabilia from the much-loved series.

Now items from his collection will be used as part of an exhibition at the National Media Museum in Bradford – David has been selected as one of four superfans from throughout Britain. Doctor Who and Me: 50 Years of Doctor Who Fans is timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary episode airing later this month.

40-year-old David has been collecting memorabilia since childhood. “My earliest memory is of watching Doctor Who,” he said. “Even when I watch them now I still get taken back to watching them as a kid eating a potted meat sandwich.”

The postman estimates he’s spent thousands on his collection over the years, which includes replica heads of some of the series’ scariest monsters, jigsaws, Russian dolls and his life-size Dalek, which was built by a friend.

“I’ve got K-9 coming in the new year,” added David. “It would be nice to have Tardis too but I think I’d end up living in it because I don’t have enough space.” David’s collection has boomed since Doctor Who came back to our screens in 2005 – but he describes his partner as tolerant. “It’s like living in a Doctor Who-themed hotel up there. But sometimes I manage to sneak something small into the collection.

“Some people are passionate about sports teams or a pop group,” said David. “Mine just happens to be a TV programme.”

David said he “couldn’t be happier” with the choice of Peter Capaldi as the new Doctor. “It’s great to have someone so established,” he added. The exhibition runs from November 23 to February 9 2014.