THE chance to snap up a masterpiece for a tenner will be on offer at an unusual art auction at the University of Bolton.

Second year visual art degree students are organising their own art auction with work from staff and students.

Jennifer Taylor, one of the students, said: "As part of our degree we have to hold an exhibition at a venue outside the university.

"We have managed to secure space at Urban Splash at Timber Wharf, Manchester, but we need to raise cash to pay for invitations and artists' cards.

"We have held raffles and decided we wanted to do something more exiting so thought about holding an auction. We are asking tutors and students to part with their art so we can sell it."

The auction will be held at the University's main lecture theatre at the Chadwick Campus on Thursday, March 10. Viewing will be from noon with the auction at 1pm. "We don't mind if you've only got 10p or £10 to spend, every little helps and hopefully it will be a fun lunchtime," added Jennifer.

The Urban Splash exhibition, featuring work from the 32 second year students will be staged in May.

It will include paintings, sculptures and installations, and Jennifers plates whose patterns are created using listeria bacteria.