A BLAZER worn by late comedy legend Ronnie Barker and a shirt signed by the England football team are among items being auctioned today to raise money for Oxfordshire charities.

The items will join more than 50 other items donated by the likes of Gordon Ramsay, Ricky Gervais, Kylie Minogue, Liz Hurley, Barbara Windsor and the Arctic Monkeys, being sold online in the Rags to Riches Auction.

The proceeds of the online auction will raise money for three charities. They are the Ace Centre, which supports the use of technology for young people who have difficulty speaking or writing, the Child Brain Injury Trust (CBIT), and Fox FM's charity Help an Oxfordshire Child.

Nick Streeter is fundraising manager for the Ace Centre - based at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington - and charity manager for Fox FM. He said it was Mr Barker's blazer that sparked the whole idea.

He explained: "Mr Barker lived in Chipping Norton and donated his blazer to the Ace Centre a few years before he passed away, so we could sell it and raise money.

"But when he died, we felt it wouldn't be appropriate and have left it until now.

"We recently started writing to other celebrities asking if they would be willing to donate things to be auctioned, and we've been overwhelmed with the response."

It is hoped the items will raise more than £5,000 for the county charities - money that will make a big difference to the Ace Centre, which is in urgent need of funds.

Rachel Ritter, fundraising officer at CBIT, said the money raised from the auction would be put towards the building of a new family support centre in Oxfordshire.

She said: "That way families who live in the area will be able to have one-to-one contact and support from our team, helping them with their social welfare issues."

The auction starts continues for seven days.

People can bid for the items by visiting www.foxfm.co.uk/charity or by going to auction website eBay and searching for the auction under the name Rags to Riches.