ART fans flocked to the Mayor of Chippenham's Silent Art Auction on Thursday, which raised an impressive £3,000 for the Friends of Chippenham Hospital.

More than 50 local artists, amateurs and professionals, donated works of art worth hundreds of pounds, for sale at the auction.

The event was held at the Cause arts centre in the Causeway, Chippenham. The exhibition opened at 10am and throughout the day people called in to view the range of paintings, photos, sculptures, stained glass, jewellery and textiles.

Visitors picked out their favourite pieces and entered bids in sealed envelopes, which were opened at the end of the day. Around 60 per cent of the items were sold, raising £3,000.

Mayor Richard Meek and Mayoress Karin Meek were delighted.

"Karin was hoping we might raise that much but half way through the day it didn't look as though we would," said Coun Meek.

"By the end of the day, however, we were starting to get excited. Later when we got home and started to open the bids we could see how much we'd raised, and Karin was in tears."

Coun Meek said the auction had required a lot of organisation, and paid tribute to the contribution made by artist Syrah Arnold, who was curator of the exhibition, as well as the artists who donated work.

"It was a fantastic effort," he said. "The auction caught the public's attention and people clearly knew what they were looking at, and put in some good bids."