Samantha Cameron's dress auctioned for charity

It was the dress that symbolised the new age of frugality: a £65 polka dot number worn by Samantha Cameron, when her husband David gave his speech at the Conservative Party conference last year.

Now the Marks & Spencer frock - reportedly hand-made at a cost of £150 rather than an off-the peg version - is to be sold, along with Elizabeth Hurley's bikini, supermodel Elle Macpherson's PVC trousers and actress Sienna Miller's playsuit, to raise money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Campaign. The clothes will be auctioned online.

Charity fundraiser Jemima Khan, who donated a dress designed by Azzaro, said: "I hope the auction is able to fund projects that make a real difference in the lives of people affected by cancer."

Bidding for the auction ends on Sunday October 31. royalmarsden.org/boutique/