Ref. 29674-04LUKE Skywalker has something to boast about down his local after becoming the new owner of a rare Orville puppet used in a TV advert.

And with a price tag of £1,020 it's certainly not a cheap imitation of the bird, famed for his inability to fly and bust-ups with sidekick Cuddles the monkey.

Standing at an impressive 3ft, he rekindles memories of 1980s children television.

And according to Mr Skywalker, just the sight of the green bird is enough to make grown men turn green too with envy.

Only two replicas were made for the commercial, which also stars veteran ventriloquist Keith Harris, 56, and comedians Adam and Joe.

In the clip, the hapless duo successfully pass Surf washing powder's stain challenge after being thrown into chicken soup.

After filming, one of the two replicas was too damaged to sell, but the makers of the washing powder, Lever-Faberge, decided to donate the puppet to Winston's Wish a Cheltenham charity that supports bereaved youngsters.

Mr Skywalker, owner of Faringdon Road memorabilia store Skywalkers, admits £1,000 is a lot to pay for a puppet, but thinks he's landed himself a real bargain. He said: "Everyone loves Orville he's a superstar. Everyone thinks I'm a bit of a nutter for buying it but I think he's worth every penny.

"A friend spotted the puppet on the internet auction site e-bay.

"I've been looking for a way of getting younger people into the store for a while now and as soon as I read the description of it I decided I wasn't going to let it go."

The first his wife Sharon, 36, knew of his spending spree was when he popped the bird out of its tailor-made holdall and performed a convincing rendition of Orville hit song Wish I Could Fly.

"The wife couldn't stop laughing," he said. "She thinks I'm mad, but I reckon he's brilliant."

The bird is fast-becoming a popular member of the household with the couple's children, Bradley, three, Shannon, six, and Joshua, 12, all taking a shine to it.

But Mr Skywalker who changed his named from Kaye to that of his hero from the Star Wars films says the puppet is being kept under lock and key.

The news has been gratefully received by Mr Harris, who called him on Saturday night to check on his old buddy. "Keith called to congratulate me and to make sure that I was looking after Orville. He doesn't want him abused."

Now Mr Skywalker is considering taking ventriloquist lessons to hone his skills.

"It's a gold mine and there's certainly a lot of money to be made from it. I'm thinking about tying a family holiday to America in with a course."

Orville got a public showing of Saturday at the Greenbridge Pub in Stratton.

Mr Skywalker, a keen amateur DJ, joined the puppet to host a family disco.

Shahla Rushworth, Surf brand manager at Lever Faberg, said: "It's fantastic that our recent Surf ad has been so popular. We're delighted that the proceeds from Orville's sale on eBay are being donated to Winston's Wish it's a hugely worthwhile organisation."

Kevin Shoesmith