A DRAWING by famed cartoonist and illustrator William Heath Robinson could sell for £3,000 after being rescued from a skip.

The ink drawing caricatures the process of making paper and goes under the hammer in Sherborne on Friday.

Heath Robinson was best-known for the complicated and outlandish inventions he portrayed.

Richard Bromell, of Charterhouse auctioneers, said: "It is a typically mad, mad drawing by William Heath Robinson.

"Essentially he was caricaturing the age of the machine and became so famous that the term Heath Robinson contraption' came into official dictionary use in around 1912.

"The drawing was originally a calendar design for Thomas & Green Ltd in High Wycombe who were paper makers for many years, and the drawing shows you the various stages of making paper - my favourite part is where the garden roller flattens out the paper!"

The drawing was rescued from a skip when the Thomas and Green mill was sold for redevelopment, and stored in a clip frame to keep it safe.

The piece of mad art is estimated at £2,000 to £3,000 as part of the Charterhouse two-day auction on Thursday and Friday of 1,300 lots of Beswick, Doulton, pictures and antiques at the Long Street salerooms.

For further information contact Richard Bromell on 01935 812277 or email enquiry@charterhouse-auctions.co.uk