FANS of legendary York comedian Frankie Howerd can snap up personal items from his huge collection of memorabilia.

The collection – including a passport showing him wearing an ill-fitting toupée, pictures of him with Elizabeth Taylor and Elton John and old school reports – is to be sold at auction by Dreweatts in Bristol on Tuesday.

Born Francis Alick Howard in York in 1917, the Carry On star later decided to adopt the more distinctive Frankie Howerd as his stage name.

The Up Pompeii! star became a national treasure in the early 70s when millions tuned in to watch him in the hit BBC sitcom set in ancient Rome.

Dreweatts’ auctioneer Peter Rixon said: “Frankie Howerd was a true national treasure who was acknowledged as the master of the double entendre and risque gags.

“This sale will probably be the last chance for collectors to bid for some of Frankie’s remaining personal belongings which give a fascinating insight into his life from his school days right to the height of his success.

“We’ve got some wonderful photographs of Frankie with Elizabeth Taylor and Elton John, pictures of him at the Theatre of Dionysus ruins in Athens and others with members of the Royal Family, including the Queen, Prince Philip, Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother.

“Frankie served as a gunner in the Royal Artillery in the Second World War and we’ve got a passport-style strip of three photographs of him wearing Army uniform.

“We’ve already had a lot of interest and we are planning to sell the items in three combined lots with a conservative estimate of £700 to £800.”

The comedian died from heart failure, aged 75, in 1992.

The collection is being auctioned following the sale of Wavering Down, his Somerset country home, and is to be sold by auctioneers Dreweatts in Bristol on February 26.