Oxfam is calling all Chippenham people to bid for their favourite lot as the most artistic and valuable parts within the market town, including architectural gems, are auctioned on Thursday May 30 from 1pm to 3pm at the Buttercross, High Street.

The spoof auction, organised by Oxfam, will be taking place to highlight the practice of land grabs.

Local people are invited to join the local ‘land auction and land grab’ of Chippenham with the Bradford on Avon Oxfam campaigns group and local MP Duncan Hames.

Bidders will be invited to make their offers on important buildings, historic architectural structures and landmarks, even key shops in the town.

Rowena Quantrill, 70, from Bradford on Avon will be a local ‘land grabber’ on the day.

She is a member of the Bradford on Avon Oxfam group, who have already campaigned on land grabs issues at the Farmer's Market in the town.

Rowena lived in Cameroon (west Central Africa) from 1991 to 1995. The issues surrounding land grabs have been particularly pertinent for Rowena after learning of a big American company attempting to take over vast tracts of richly bio-diverse land in the SW Province of Cameroon to turn into oil palm plantations.

Local small farmers have been protesting against this, supported by international NGOs and the Cameroon government has ordered a suspension of activity.

Rowena said: “This incident, in an area I know well, shows that campaigning can have effect. Across Africa and beyond, big land deals are taking people’s homes, jobs and food - and all too often these deals are little more than land grabs.

"Land grabs must be stopped, and we are organising this tongue-in-cheek auction to make people think about it.

“What would happen if someone told you that you have lost your livelihood and your home because everything you have has been sold without your consent or knowledge? Unfortunately this is the reality for thousands of the poorest people around the world.”