A CELEBRITY sighting in a bustling Earlestown street has sparked a poptastic charity challenge.

Staff at the Pink Pig record shop in Bridge Street say the store has been mobbed by fans ever since they installed a lifesize cut-out of Robbie Williams in the window.

Robbie-mad teenagers have been pleading with shop owner Jim Addison to be allowed to take Robbie home with them.

Now, the shop is to raffle the two-dimensional troubadour in a bid to raise £200 for Comic Relief.

Said Jim: "It's caused quite a stir. We were getting three or four requests a day for it, so we decided to generate a bit of money for a good cause. We put a notice in the window that said, 'Give this nice young man a home for only a pound.' We've had a really good response, and we should hit our target in no time," he said.

Copies of Robbie's album, I've Been Expecting You, have been flying out of the shop since its release.

Added Jim: "Robbie's very popular with people in Newton. He appeals to everyone of all ages - even my mum!"

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