Newcastle Evening Chronicle reporter Jamie Diffley has come up with a novel way to support his paper's Sunshine Fund charity – by offering a signed photo of himself for sale on eBay.

In an effort to beat the silly season, Jamie put the item up for auction to go with his double-page feature about the website.

And anyone who fancies snapping up the potential bargain - the proceeds of which will go to the Sunshine Fund - only has until 12.13pm today to make a bid.

Jamie told Evening Chronicle readers: "What better way to part with your cash than for a signed photo of yours truly?

"Looking resplendent in a blue shirt and sporting a toothy grin, the almost-professional photo (taken on a digital camera in the office) will make an ideal gift for that someone special and for a couple of extra quid you can buy a frame and hang it on your wall. Perfect.

"This is an exclusive opportunity. Only one of these not-much-sought-after photographs exists and for a starting bid of just 99p, it's rude not to!

"A photograph of me is for life, not just for Christmas."

To find the photograph, log on to www.ebay.co.uk and type 'Jamie Diffley' into the search engine.

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