BARGAIN hunters have been invited to bid for a collection of antiques - and help raise money for a worthy cause.

The Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Bernard Bateman, has chosen the Ripon Community House appeal as his the charity to benefit from his year in office.

It is hoped the auction in the council chamber at the Town Hall on Saturday, February 1, will help boost the fund closer to its £1m target.

Among the lots is ten litres of Irish whiskey in a cask hand-crafted by master cooper, John Neilly, from the Lockes distillery, in Kilbeggan.

Georgian dining chairs, silver coffee spoons and a 17th Century spirit glass are also among the 150 items to be offered for sale.

Viewing will be between 4pm and 8pm on Friday, January 31, with the auction at 6pm the following day.

The community house, run by the Ripon Council for Voluntary Service will bring many of the city's voluntary organisations under one roof, doubling as a resource centre for the local community.

A children's wing, community information area, a transport office, cafeteria, meeting and training rooms and a drop-in centre are all included in the proposals for the old workhouse hospital, in Allhallowgate.