Rare charity lots Wonderful

Rare early versions of hit songs by Stourbridge rock heroes The Wonder Stuff are to be auctioned off to raise cash for the Oscar Fradgley appeal.

Frontman Miles Hunt used to play in a band with Oscar's father Chris before shooting to fame in the late 1980s.

Hunt performed at a tribute gig to the four-year-old earlier this year and promised to do all he could to help.

Now the rare items, some of which are one of a kind, will be auctioned on the band's website www.room512.com from Monday.

All cash raised will go directly to the appeal for the Kingswinford youngster born without hands or feet, which currently stands at £80,000.

Lots on offer include acetates – the transitional stage between the master tape of songs and the finished vinyl record – of several Wonder Stuff hits.

They include one of a kind versions of Give Give Give Me More More More; Dont Let Me Down, Gently; Circlesquare and Sleep Alone.

Also being auctioned off are three unique two-foot high artwork canvases by artist Andrew Forcer.

People wishing to bid need to be active members on the messageboard section of the website and can place bids from Monday.

Oscar's mum Lisa said she was delighted Miles had pledged his support to the cause – but revealed he may not be the only famous face from the music world nailing their colours to the mast.

"Clint Mansell from the band Pop Will Eat Itself was also at the tribute gig, and he has told us he is planning to write a song about Oscar," she said.

"He said he was going to put it on his website and sell it, donating all the proceeds to the appeal. Whether anything comes of that we will have to wait and see."

Mansell is now a highly-successful producer of scores for Hollywood blockbuster films.

The Wonderstuff enjoyed massive success in the late 1980s and early '90s and bagged 14 top 40 hits before splitting up in 1994.

Their biggest hit came in 1991 when the group enjoyed a number one with their cover of Tommy Roe's Dizzy, alongside comedian Vic Reeves.

Other big releases included The Size of a Cow, Welcome to the Cheap Seats and Don't Let me Down Gently.