SOME of East Lancashire’s most famous faces have put pen to paper to join this year’s National Doodle Day.

Doodles by Accrington Coronation Street star Julie Hesmondhalgh, fellow Corrie star Antony Cotton, from Rossendale, Blackburn-born author Josephine Cox and ex-Blackburn Rovers player Simon Grayson — now Preston manager — will all be auctioned to raise charity cash.

They will join drawings by Michael Parkinson, Bill Nighy, Christopher Biggins and John Bishop in the eBay online auction in aid of Epilepsy Action.

The annual initiative has seen 1,200 celebrities take part in National Doodle Day over the past 11 years.

People can also get in on the act by creating their own masterpiece and donating a pound to Epilepsy Action.

There will be prizes for the best doodlers, including arts and crafts vouchers and custom-made 3D doodles.

Philippa Cartwright, fundraising events manager at Epilepsy Action, said: “Every year we are overwhelmed with the positive support that we receive from celebrities and members of the public alike.

“The celebrity doodle auction is always a terrific success, raising thousands of pounds in much-needed funds for Epilepsy Action.

“The highest-grossing doodle raised £1,600 alone, so this event really does make a huge difference to people with epilepsy and their families.”

The auction will run from Friday to Sunday, March 7 to 16 and the closing date for entries into the National Doodle Day competition is Friday, April 4.

Epilepsy affects around one in every 100 people in the UK alone and 87 people are diagnosed with the condition every day and each year Epilepsy Action directly helps around one million people through a range of services. For more information, visit nationaldoodleday.org.uk