Conroy in control for charity sale

SPORTS memorabilia, theme park tickets and a weekend's drive in a BMW or Mercedes car are among the items up for grabs at a charity auction.

The sell-out event takes place at the Moat House hotel, Festival Park, Etruria, on February 12.

Former Stoke City player Terry Conroy will be acting as auctioneer for the night and there will also be a large raffle.

Proceeds will be split between the Darren Bailey Room at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire and the charity Cancer Research UK.

Darren, a former soldier from Ash Bank, died four years ago from leukaemia after spending 14 months receiving treatment at the hospital.

The 23-year-old's memory now lives on in the relaxation room, which provides somewhere for current leukaemia sufferers to go to help make them feel more comfortable and to distract them from their illness.

It has been kitted out with sofas, computers, a plasma TV, an exercise bike, library books and artwork.

The auction funds will go towards providing more equipment and creature comforts for the patients.