AN auction dedicated to items with a special link to one of the world's most loved children's authors has been annnounced.

Nearly 100 pieces  will go under the hammer at the Beatrix Potter event to be held on what would have been the Lake District writer's 150th birthday.

They will include rare books and illustrations by Miss Potter with a first edition of her most famous work; The Tale of Peter Rabbit , one of just 250 ever made, expected to generate global interest.

The auction will be held by Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions at the firm's London auction house, in Maddox Street, on July 28.

So far, the bulk of the lots for sale have been put forward by dedicated Beatrix Potter enthusiast John Cawood who has spent the past 40 years amassing original and hard to find pieces of her work.

Other pieces set to inspire collectors include a rare chromolithograph Christmas card of Two Mice in a Coconut, a watercolour from The Story of Miss Moppet dating from 1906,  and first editions of  The Story of Miss Moppet  in panoramic format,  The Tailor of Gloucester and The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin .

A spokesman for Dreweatts and Bloomsbury Auctions, said: "John Cawood is a resident of The Lake District and prominent member of the Beatrix Potter Society who developed a passion for Beatrix Potter’s tales as a child. 

"He always strived to buy the best condition of any title and this sale presents an excellent opportunity for new collectors to acquire some of the best examples of her work.

"Estimates for the collection range from £250 to £35,000."

Beatrix Potter moved to Hill Top Farm, at Far Sawrey, on the west side of Windermere in 1905 before continuing to invest the profits of her work in the surrounding farmland.

Her stories for children, featuring characters such as Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin and Miss Tiggywinkle are still popular, drawing thousands of tourists to the Lake District every year.