Camilla's Corrie brooch for charity

Coronation Street is to auction the "flying ducks" brooch created especially for the Duchess of Cornwall, it was announced yesterday.

Camilla wore the brooch, featuring the famous plaster ducks which adorned the Weatherfield home of Hilda Ogden, during her visit to the cobbles last month.

Money from the sale will go towards the four charities the soap is supporting during its 50th anniversary year.

The charities are the NSPCC and Cancer Research UK as well as Manchester cancer centre The Christie and Moodswings, a mental health voluntary organisation set up by cast member Jennie McAlpine's (Fiz Stape) father.

They were chosen by the soap's cast through a ballot.

Corrie's executive producer, Kieran Roberts, said: "The 50th year of Coronation Street is a massive landmark in television history, and one that will be commemorated in many different ways, both on and off screen, throughout 2010."