Published Date: 11 February 2009

JAMES BOND enthusiasts from across the country descended on a Harrogate charity auction to bid on a signed souvenir.

A poster of Daniel Craig donated by the actor himself drew national attention after appearing on breakfast radio, newspapers, and even a spy magazine.

The auction's organiser, Ruth Watson, 26, a former soldier from Harrogate who wanted to raise money for servicemen and women injured abroad, found herself fielding calls from TV shows and Bond fans as they tried to buy the signed picture ahead of last Saturday's Help for Heroes charity auction.

But it was an unnamed woman from Harrogate who secured the prize for a generous £600.

Mrs Watson said: "One guy had every James Bond signature apart from Daniel Craig's, and that's why he came along.

"But the lady bidder was very persistent that she wanted it on her wall - much to her husband's disappointment!"

The 140 tickets, for the auction at St John Fisher School, sold out early at £5 apiece.

Snowballed

"The support has been fantastic," said Mrs Watson, who works as a welfare officer for the school.

"Once Daniel Craig got involved, it just snowballed. It started quite slow, but then it got quite out of hand and just started rolling.

"I was aiming to raise £2,000 but I actually made just over £3,500 so I'm really over the moon.

"That will make it possible for us to go that extra mile, it will help so much."

Kaiser Chiefs

Former Apprentice finalist Kristina Grimes wielded the hammer, and Harrogate band D'Nile provided the music, calling on bidders to put their hands in their pockets in return for an encore performance.

Also among the prizes on offer were a James Bond DVD and a signed watermelon-shaped Kaiser Chiefs disc - both went for £160 apiece - a VIP race day at York Races, a three course meal and champagne from Skybet, and a part from a Formula 1 Williams racing car signed by drivers Nico Roseberg and Kazuki Nakajima.

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