AN AUCTIONEER from Wotton-under-Edge brought the hammer down on the sale of TV presenter Nick Knowles’s famous red swimming trunks.

John Rolfe, who has worked for Wotton Auction Rooms for two years, sold the DIY SOS frontman’s ‘budgie smugglers’ for £2,250.

The star wore the tight-fitting shorts on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!

Money from the sale will help pay for a teenager’s life-changing operation.

They were auctioned on Saturday for 15-year-old Luca Railton, of Bath, who was born without lower leg bones and needs £120,000 for an operation.

Mr Rolfe, who donated his auctioneering skills free of charge, said: “It was a light-hearted event and the swimming trunks were a great source of amusement throughout the evening.

“I joked that it had been my lifetime’s ambition to get the phone call to auction Nick Knowles’ ‘budgie smugglers’.

He added: “Because they were so unique as a prize, it helped to draw in a lot more interest and we raised twice as much money as we would have done otherwise.”

Online bidding for Nick’s pants was at £1,250 before the event, but the anonymous buyer decided to make the payment, but not accept the trunks, entering them back into the auction instead.

The pants were re-entered into the auction and sold for £1,000 to Space gym owner, Mark Lamputt.

Mark knows Luca personally and helps him with his fitness training.

Overall, £5,915 was raised from the goods sold at the auction.

Nick Knowles’ pants sold for the highest amount, followed by a 10-person weekend in Croyde.

There were 11 lots altogether, which included a helicopter ride and rugby tickets.

The auction took place in Pewsey, Wiltshire on Saturday, February 9.

To donate towards Luca’s operation, visit: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/luca-walk-campaign