A COLLECTION of motorcycles, cars, cameras, motoring mascots and rare watches worth more than £2 million is set to go under the hammer to raise money for a new cancer centre at Dorset County Hospital and leave a lasting legacy for patients in the county.

Dorset County Hospital has launched a campaign, backed by the Dorset Echo to raise money to provide radiotherapy services in the west of the county for the first time.

The Robert White collection is set to go under the hammer in London to raise money for new cancer facilities at Dorset County Hospital as well as in Poole.

Robert White, died last year of cancer aged 62 and was one of the UK’s leading photographic retailers, having started in business with a small camera shop in Poole.

He was treated for cancer in Dorset.

The collection includes a 1930 Bentley 4-and-a-half litre Le Mans-style Tourer car, estimated at around £450,000 to £550,000 and a 1959 AC Ace-Bristol Roadster car, with an estimated value of £450,00 to £550,000.

Malcolm Barber, Bonhams auctioneers co-chairman, said: "Robert White was a great man and an enthusiast of all things mechanical. The sale is a showcase of his life's passion, with more than 500 lots set to raise more than £2 million for charity.”

Mr White's consultant oncologist, Dr Mike Bayne, said: "The impact that Mr. White's incredible generosity will have to patients facing cancer in Dorset cannot be overstated.

"This lasting legacy will continue to benefit patients and their families for years to come, enabling the people of Dorset to receive the very latest and most effective diagnoses and treatments for a range of cancers, and supporting our skilled clinicians and nursing teams to be among the most advanced in the country.

"Robert White will forever be associated with advances in cancer care in the county, and on behalf of our patients I would like to express our heartfelt thanks."