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A MAN hopes to raise thousands for a school by auctioning a rotten old garden hut.

Jimmy O'Keefe discovered the wooden hut, which was built over 100 years ago by Knutsford carpenter Henry Caesar and his son Julius, during a garden clearance.

But last week its former owner paid him a visit after reading in the Knutsford Guardian that other renovated Caesar huts had been sold for £25,000.

"I told him he could have it back, but also suggested a charity auction, which he was pleased with," said Mr O'Keefe.

"I thought it was worth something, but I had no idea how much."

The hut is in a poor condition. Its bottom is rotting, and only half of it now stands unaided.

Mr O'Keefe, 50, who owns Plumley Architectural Salvage Traders, wants to raise £7,000 for Sandiway Primary School's ecology project.

He said that even more could be raised if an antiques restorer could be found who would agree to renovate it for free.

"Then we could really help the kids out," he said.

Although the metal identification plaque is missing, he is sure it is a Caesar-built hut.

Marshall's Auctioneers who are based in Church Hill, Knutsford, are already on board.

Auctioneer Adam Partridge said the hut would go in its specialist fine art and antiques sale on September 11.

But prospective buyers will have to go to Mr O' Keefe's yard on the A556 in Plumley on September 10 to see it for themselves.

"Rather than trying to move it and risk it disintegrating we can sell it in situ," said Mr Partridge.

"We will have photographs of it inside our premises and sell it from there."

The hut's previous owner, John Leighton, of Manora Road in Northwich, was unavailable for comment when the Guardian went to press.

4:57pm Thursday 9th August 2007

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