Cartoonist Tony Husband's work to be auctioned off to help Hyde arts hub

The late cartoonist's work, which previously featured in an Oldham exhibition, will go under the hammer

Cartoons drawn by acclaimed Private Eye cartoonist Tony Husband are to be auctioned off to help a community arts hub in the town where he lived.

The Blackpool-born cartoonist died from a heart attack, aged 73, last month.

Nineteen canvasses have been donated by his family to Pop, a multi-generational arts and creative space, in Hyde, Greater Manchester.

"Tony was a patron of Pop from day one and this donation means the world to us," Pop's Jackie Francis said.

Tony Husband was patron of Pop

Born in 1950, Mr Husband was behind one of Britain's longest running comic strips, The Yobs, in Private Eye, as well as working on ITV children's series Round The Bend.

His funeral was held in Ashton-under-Lyne last Tuesday.

The cartoons were previously part of an exhibition of Mr Husband's work in Oldham.

His son, Paul, said: "My dad was passionate about popular culture, about Hyde and about the vulnerable.

"Pop does it's very best for all those,"

Jackie Francis says the donation "means the world to us"

Ms Francis said the auction was yet to be finalised, but details would be posted on Pop's website.

Pop was set up in 2017 to provide a home for original music.

Following Mr Husband's death, Private Eye magazine said: "RIP cartoonist Tony Husband - prolific, funny and inventive contributor to Private Eye since 1985."

Author and TV personality Richard Osman said: "So sad to hear of the death of the wonderful cartoonist Tony Husband, a man whose work has made me laugh so many times.

"Humour with such tremendous wit and warmth."