About �4,500 has been raised to help wounded troops at a highly successful charity auction and raffle in Lowestoft on Friday night.

The money for the Help for Heroes forces charity was raised at a event organised by the Lowestoft branch of the Royal Artillery Association at the Beaconsfield Club.

Two hundred and fifty people attended the fund-raiser which saw a football shirt signed by striking legend Jimmy Greaves raise �300 during a frenzied bidding session.

Among the other 30 items auctioned were a signed Norwich City top which raised �100, signed Ipswich Town and Lowestoft Town tops, snooker cues signed by Steve Davis and a 32-inch flat screen television.

The raffle included a whole host of donated items from Lowestoft firms.

The auction and raffle was watched by two 'guests of honour', Lowestoft Territorial Army soldiers L/cpl Matthew Smith and Pvt Jason Reeve of the 3rd battalion Royal Anglian Regiment.

Ron Bonner was one of the night's organisers and said he had hoped that it would raise �3,000. He was delighted instead to see the fund-raiser had reached the �4,500 barrier instead.

Mr Bonner said: 'It was a fantastic night. I want to say a big thank you to the people and businesses of Lowestoft for supporting it.'

There are plans for another Help for Heroes charity night in April.