ART lovers can bid for paintings as part of a silent charity auction.

The Station, in Richmond, North Yorkshire, is hosting the Wall to Wall event throughout next month, with a display of donated art.

People can view the pieces, some of which have not been shown before, and then bid for them at the free exhibition.

Works have been collected from many wellknown artists, actors and politicians including Prince Charles, Maureen Lipman, Sir Ben Kingsley, William Hague and Mackenzie Thorpe.

The Station, a charity run by volunteers, spent £2.7m converting the former Richmond railway station into a community venue. It receives no outside funds, so relies on donations.

Station trustee Donald Kline said: “To begin, it was tough going, but once several big names agreed to donate a work, others followed.”

Organisers hope to raise £20,000 by the time bidding finishes at 5pm on February 28. To view the works or to bid, visit The Station or go to wall-to-wall-art.com