It’s criminal how much Denholme charity Mpika made with its latest fundraising effort!

The group auctioned three drawings by notorious prisoner Charles Bronson on eBay to help orphans in Africa.

The website auction last Thursday brought in £230 — more than double the starting price.

In line with Bronson’s request, the money will be spent on babies at the orphanage Mpika supports in Zambia. Bronson, dubbed the most violent prisoner in Britain, has achieved renown for his art and often gives pieces to fellow prisoners to sell for charity.

Mpika founder June Martin said the charity had many other items to sell on eBay and had just recruited a volunteer to organise sales.

It had also recruited other volunteers to expand Mpika’s scheme allowing people to sponsor children at the orphanage.

A donation of £8 a month will pay for a child’s education and £15 will pay for his or her full-time care. June said: “Most of the children are residents but sometimes they live with carers who can’t afford the education.”

Mpika has recently bought two farms which it is developing to raise income for the orphanage. June said: “They are now growing a lot of maize and pumpkins. At the moment these are mainly used by the orphanage.”

The charity set up its Village of Hope in the town of Mpika in 2004 to help care for and educate orphans who lost parents through childbirth, malaria and Aids.