Eastleigh'S gold top tribute to its favourite adopted son, the late Benny Hill, is set to be beamed across screens nationwide.

Footage filmed in July when Eastleigh mayor Jane Welsh unveiled a plaque close to the former site of Hann's Dorset Dairies where the comedian once worked will feature in the November 10 screening of Channel 4's Collectors' Lot programme.

The 3.30pm programme will focus on London man Jim Parker who played a leading role in the Eastleigh celebrations aimed at making sure that Benny and "Ernie" - the milkman who drove the fastest milk cart in the West - have a permanent memorial in the town.

Twenty-eight-year old Jim is a lifelong Benny Hill fan and is so passionate about the cuddly funny man that he has amassed a collection of Benny Hill memorabilia and also impersonates him as part of his act as a stand-up comedian.

Now he will get the chance to show off his collection and pay tribute to the comedian on the new series of Collectors' Lot - a programme which has rapidly become one of the most popular series on daytime television.

As well as posters, records and photographs, Jim has a clown suit and skeleton's outfit worn by Benny for television sketches plus a set of postcards Benny wrote to him personally before the funny man's death.

But Eastleigh viewers will also get the chance to see a re-run of the plaque unveiling ceremony in Wells Place, plus the exhibitions in the town cataloguing Benny Hill's rise to fame.

The July tribute was co-ordinated by Malcolm Dale of the local history society who said he was pleased that the event was set to be screened on Channel 4.

"It will be nice to see Eastleigh given some nationwide publicity," he commented.

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