A GUITAR signed by rock legend Paul Weller is being auctioned off to raise money for an appeal to fund a life-changing operation for a Blackburn schoolboy.

The family of Samuel Hosker, eight, have launched an appeal to pay for an operation which is unavailable on the NHS and which will mean Samuel, who has cerebral palsy will not be wheelchair bound.

Reidy's Music in Blackburn have donated an Epiphone Casino guitar to the appeal.

Marketing manager Dale Gardner waited outside King George's Hall, Blackburn, for several hours when Paul Weller played at the venue in April and got the former Jam frontman to sign the guitar.

Dale said: "It was well worth the wait when Paul agreed to sign it to help Samuel. It's not something he does very often and it will be something all Weller fans would love to have."

The guitar - in vintage sunburst - is the same model and colour as the one Paul has played throughout his career.

"Samuel's grandad Keith McClure is one of our delivery drivers," said Dale, "and we wanted to do something to help such a worthwhile cause."

Samuel is due to have spinal dorsal rhizotomy surgery at the Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool in September.

The surgery will relax muscles in Samuel's legs allowing him to continue to use a walking frame. Without the operation, doctors have said Samuel would be fully dependent on a wheelchair within two years.

Following surgery, Samuel, a pupil at St Peter's RC Primary School, will have to undergo two years of intensive physiotherapy.

The family had initially hoped to raise £30,000 but a series of fundraising efforts have already taken the appeal total to £44,000 which will go towards the operation costs and aftercare and specialist equipment.

"We put a reserve on the auction on eBay of £500 which is the cost of the guitar without the signature but that has already been met," said Dale. "Now we just hope the bidding will go up and up."

As well as his signature Paul Weller has written One Love in silver on the body of the guitar. The successful bidder will also receive a framed photo from the Paul Weller concert at King George's Hall donated by PhotographyGaz.com and an email confirming the signature's authenticity from Paul Weller's manager.

The auction is currently running on eBay and will close at 8.04pm on Wednesday. To bid, search for Paul Weller signed guitar on www.ebay.o.uk or follow the link http://ebay.eu/2utOQrG