A CHARITY auction of promises for a Bradford on Avon mother suffering from a killer lung disease is already attracting offers from Internet bidders.

The auction offers the chance to bid for up to 80 items, worth a total of £10,000, including the chance to star as an extra on the next Hugh Grant film.

Theresa Hewat, 55, of Wine Street, has the rare lung disease Lymphangioleiomatosis (LAM) a devastating disease with no known cure.

Husband, ex-Radio Four presenter, Jonathan Hewat, 63, organised the charity auction to raise vital funds for the LAM Action Trust.

The charity needs funding for groundbreaking research into the disease, which affects only 60 women nationwide.

Mr Hewat said he is delighted at the generosity of traders in Bradford on Avon who have been among the donators.

Other prizes showcased at the charity auction next Saturday include a microlight flight in west Wiltshire, with round-the-world solo pilot Polly Vacher, a day at Bath races for four people, a chance to have tea at the House of Commons and a luxury flat in Edinburgh for next year's week-long festival.

Mrs Hewat was diagnosed with LAM 20 years ago but was told by doctors she had less than ten years to live.

LAM causes cysts to develop in the lungs by rapid cellular growth, blocking the airways, blood vessels and lymph vessels.

Enduring painful tests every six-months to chart her decreasing lung capacity and regular injections to control the body's natural supply of oestrogen, Mrs Hewat has vowed to stay strong for her husband and two teenage daughters, despite exceeding doctors' initial estimations.

The auction will be held at the Riverside Inn, on October 12, at 7.30pm. Mr Hewat said people must come on the day to make it a success.

He said: "It is great we are getting e-mail bids already. It is becoming quite a major event.

"I am delighted how many items we have been donated and am desperate for it to be a success.

"Hopefully this auction will also raise the profile of the illness and bring it in to the public eye."

LAM only affects women and generally starts before the menopause.

Sufferers can be reliant on oxygen tanks or wheelchairs and in chronic cases may need lung transplants.

Internet bids can be entered by logging on to www.lamtrust.co.uk.