FAKE bidders have sabotaged an online auction for a James Brown doll - made famous by sports presenter Jeff Stelling - which has cost charities thousands of pounds.

Stephen Akers-Belcher, chairman of Hartlepool Borough Council, was left "frustrated and disappointed" after the ebay auction was ruined.

After ten days of bidding, the top bid for the singing and dancing doll was more than £140,000.

But when the council contacted the highest bidder and dozens of other bidders, they all refused to pay up.

One genuine £7,000 bid was lost as by the time council staff had worked through the list, the bidder had donated the cash to other charities.

Coun Akers-Belcher has now been forced to put the doll on eBay yet again, this time at a buy-it-now price of £1,500 – £5,500 less than what could have been raised to support seven town charities.

"The bidding showed so much potential to genuinely raise a lot of money," he said

"It saddens my heart that people would go out of their way to disrupt the bids and the money we are trying to raise.

"We have had to compromise. £1,500 is still a lot of money but there is a big difference between that and £7,000.

"One thousand pounds each for the charities would have made such a difference, it's a lifeline for them.

"The people who have done this are just really irresponsible."

The money raised from the doll will go towards the Belle Vue Youth project, Central Correctors, Hartlepool Young Carers, Nurturing Young People's Development (NYPD), The Phoenix Funsters, The Rifty Youth Project and the Wharton Annexe.

Sky Sports presenter Jeff made the doll famous as he regularly unleashed it on to his desk in celebration of the singer's namesake scoring for Hartlepool United.

But when James Brown left Pools for Gateshead in the summer, Jeff decided to find a new home for the 20-inch doll and after Coun Akers-Belcher got in touch, he agreed to help the council chairman in his charity efforts.

And despite the frustrating ebay bids sabotage, Coun Akers-Belcher remains defiant and dedicated in his bid to raise cash.

He added: "This just makes me more determined to support these town causes and raise as much money as possible."

The doll can be seen on ebay by searching for Jeff Stelling James Brown doll.