There will be no bringing down the gavel on a special item for auction from Halls in Shrewsbury as they set to sell-off a cake for Oswestry's Hope House.

The auction, on Wednesday April 1, will have a few people thinking they are being fooled but the delicious item, baked by Steph Swain, from the cafe at the auction house near Battlefield, will go under the hammer for charity.

The cake is the first one ever to be auctioned by Halls, which celebrates its 175th anniversary this year.

Steph is planning to bake a chocolate cake. She said: “It will be decorated with Hope House colours, including a rainbow and clouds will be large enough to serve 12 people.”

Café owner, Leanne Burgoyne, added: “As well as auctioning the Hope House cake we’ll also be selling cake to take home on the day, with £2.50 per slice going to Hope House.

"The following week, throughout Halls free valuation day on Monday, April 6, we’ll be selling coffee and cake for £4 and again, all the proceeds will go to the charity.”

The auction will be the first event in this year’s Hope House ‘Eat Cake Week’, which is running from April 6-12.

Lynsey Kilvert, Fundraising Team Leader for Hope House, which provides specialist nursing and palliative and emotional care for young people and their families, is delighted with the support from Halls, which also has an estate agents branch in Oswestry.

She said: “This will be our third ‘Eat Cake Week’ and so far the money raised for the charity totals £25,500.

"This year the children at Hope House will be mixing up their own ingredients and enjoying their own bakes on Wednesday, April 8 and, with the support from Halls and other good businesses and supporters, we’re aiming to smash this year’s £20,000 target.”

The auctioneer with responsibility for getting the best price for the cake, Joseph Trinder, added: “Bidders will be there for art, furniture, ceramics and other collectibles and there is always a buzz in the room as people go up against one another.

"Auctioning a cake for the first time will be a lot of fun and Leanne’s team are fantastic cooks so the winning bidder will get to take home a tremendous prize.”

The cake auction will take place in the Auction House Café at Halls in Battlefield, Shrewsbury at around 1pm.