A TEDDY bear that belonged to a little girl orphaned by Europe's worst tsunami disaster is to be auctioned to help victims of the Asian disaster.

The tiny kilt-wearing teddy survived a tidal wave caused by an earthquake almost a century ago.

Like the Asian tsunami, the quake struck a few days after Christmas, in 1908. It devastated Messina, in Sicily, and Reggio Calabria, on the Italian mainland, killing almost 200,000 people.

Experts predict the bear, which will be sold complete with a picture of its owner, will raise about £600 for the appeal.

Kathy Taylor, dolls expert for Thornaby-based Vectis Auctioneers, said: "It is an amazing coincidence that the teddy has come up for auction now and that, like the Asian disaster, the Italian tsunami also happened just after Christmas."

The owner of the teddy was found in the ruins of Reggio Calabria. Nothing was known of her parentage.

She was thought to be aged about seven months and was brought up by a Scottish doctor and his wife in the New Forest, Hampshire, having been chosen from dozens of rescued orphans who were taken to a convent in Naples.

British and Russian ships were among the first on the scene and it may well be that the baby was rescued by a Russian sailor who asked for her to be called Fyodorovna, the name of the Tsarina.

Now the daughter of the orphan, who wishes to remain anonymous, has put the teddy up for auction.

The "Scottish teddy", originally dressed as a soldier in khaki, may well have been chosen in deference to her adoptive father.

The daughter said: "My mother vehemently refused to be photographed, but the grown-ups cleverly told her that the teddy was the subject of the photograph and not her. This made her happy to comply.

"During the Second World War, the family's belongings were in store. When the teddy emerged, his uniform was moth-eaten, so my mother made a black velvet jacket for him, some 60 years ago."

Ms Taylor said: "This little girl was left all alone, as many have been recently."