Star Wars memorabilia which belonged to late Darth Vader actor David Prowse is going up for auction.
The former professional bodybuilder played the villainous character in the original Star Wars trilogy.
He died last year, aged 85, following a short illness and had been living with Alzheimer’s.
Some 600 items are going under the hammer, with a percentage of the proceeds going to Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Highlights include a rehearsal script from The Empire Strikes Back and a piece from the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon from the film A New Hope.
Prowse was also the face of road safety in Britain and his Green Cross Code Man superhero suit will be among the lots, as well as signed photographs from Star Wars co-stars Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher.
The actor’s friend and assistant, Julian Owen, spent two months sorting and researching items from Prowse’s London home with his family’s help.
He said: “It’s been an honour to do this for the Prowse family. I worked with Dave for over 10 years and going through the collection has brought back a lot of great memories. We’re expecting a lot of interest from around the world.
“It was so hard to see Dave’s decline with Alzheimer’s disease. We worked together most weekends and every time I saw him there would be a little less of him there.
“Dave’s wife Norma said from the start that she wanted some of the money raised to go to Alzheimer’s Research UK.
“While nothing could be done for Dave, she knows just how important it is to support dementia research, to ensure future generations don’t have to go through the same heartbreak.
“Dave would be delighted to know some of what’s raised is going to help others.”
Tim Parry, director at the charity, said: “David Prowse is a movie icon who introduced the world to one of the most enduring screen villains of all time.
“It’s an honour that Alzheimer’s Research UK will benefit from this auction, which will undoubtedly generate a huge amount of buzz in the Star Wars community.
“We can’t thank Norma and the family enough for using the auction as a way of supporting the search for breakthrough dementia treatments.”
– The sale, by East Bristol Auctions, opens online on Monday April 19, with a chance to bid until May 4 – known around the world as Star Wars Day – before it switches to a live auction format.