BOTTOMS up is a toast that can be heard at many a Hampshire restaurant.

But it took on a literal meaning when a bevy of bouncing bunny girls turned up for dinner at Boomerang Bar and Restaurant in Hamble.

The fluffy-tailed fundraisers were auctioning their behinds at the county's first ever charity bottom auction.

The women - who are all taking part in Race for Life this summer - invited diners to bid for advertising space on their bums at the auction hosted by BBC Homes Under the Hammer star Russell Parker.

And they have so far raised a bootylicious £5,600 for Cancer Research UK.

Winning bidders get to sponsor the ladies with a message of support on their tracksuit bottoms which will be displayed when they jog the 5km Race for Life course around Southampton Common on July 13.

Click here for more Race for Life news

Organiser Jayne Duke from Hamble said: "A great time was had by all at the auction. I wanted to do something different for Race for Life this year and the response has been fantastic.

I'm delighted."

Bidding for the girls' bottoms was fierce with one keen man even pledging his money via telephone from Spain.

Jayne's own behind raised an impressive £1,500 for the charity.

She is no stranger to fundraising. She had already raised more than £2,000 for Cancer Research UK when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer last April.

Since then she has been inspired to continue her fundraising and even managed to walk the Race for Life course in the middle of her chemotherapy last year.

"I first did Race for Life because I wanted to get fit and I thought it would raise money for a good cause," she added.

"It's always an emotional day but it will have even more meaning this year."

Jayne and her cheeky female friends and family members will be joining some 10,000 women for this year's event in Southampton.

But for now they are concentrating on getting themselves - and their expensive bottoms - in training for the big day.

Race for Life is taking place up and down the country this summer with events in Southampton, Winchester and the Isle of Wight.

  • Are you taking part in Race for Life this year? Would you or your team like to feature in the Daily Echo? Contact Paula Thompson on 023 8042 4484 or e-mail paula.thompson@ dailyecho.co.uk.