His paintings sell for millions at auction, but now a set of Francis Bacon's paintbrushes will go under the hammer and are expected to fetch around £25,000.

So-called "dating scams" have contributed to a 27% increase in the number of frauds reported, official figures show.

"Rome wasn't built in a day and Alan Sugar didn't become a millionaire overnight," said Sharon, one half of the nascent trading empire Sharon and Al, in Wheelers, Dealers and Del Boys. Sharon was wondering whether she might have been a little hasty in giving up her day job to concentrate exclusively on trading in tat, and this remark was by way of self-reassurance.

The final chapter of one of racing’s true fairy tales came to an end in Newmarket yesterday morning. Snow Fairy, the Cinderella mare who rose from the humblest beginnings to win six Group One races worldwide, aggravated an old leg injury during a routine gallop and has been retired. “It is with much sadness that the decision was made,” said her trainer Ed Dunlop, “but she owes us nothing.”

The artist John Adams puts the finishing touches to a giant acrylic on canvas painting of Nelson Mandela outside his house in a suburb of Johannesburg on Monday.

A new design bible promises stylish interiors on a shoestring budget. Trish Lorenz takes a sneak peak

One of fashion's most celebrated commentators is selling off the contents of her wardrobe. She tells Alexander Fury why she's handing a lifetime of labels to an auction house

A clump of Sir Mick Jagger’s hair has fetched £4,000 at auction, twice its estimated sale price and more than four times the £900 raised for a lock of bandmate Keith Richards’ barnet.

Michelle Heinemann and her banker husband Jon say their son's exclusive school rigged a fundraising auction and they had expected to bid $3,000

18th Century cabinet maker honoured with Doodle

The Highland cottage owned by disgraced TV presenter Jimmy Savile will be sold at auction today.

Model used to belong to major league baseball player Fred Hatfield

Plus: The mother, father, sister and brother of all Cannes press conference questions and the first cut is the deepest, as Rod Stewart well knows