The front carriage from the UK’s most iconic rollercoaster is being sold on eBay for charity.

It was Europe’s first double-helix coaster and wowed more than 43million thrill seekers in 28-years but Alton Towers closed the curtain on the Corkscrew last month. 

Hundreds of fans pleaded with the theme park to sell off parts of the ride resulting in the front carriage being put on the market in time for Christmas. Bidding for the carriage, with four seats and four harnesses, has already reached £500 with proceeds going to the Merlin’s Magic Wand children’s charity. 

The particulars of the sale state the carriage has had one careful owner and comes with a full service history.

Morwenna Angove, sales and marketing director for Alton Towers, said: “Following a surge of enquiries about the Corkscrew’s future and availability of parts, we decided to offer the public a truly unique opportunity to own this special piece of memorabilia. We have been astonished by the level of interest in the ride since announcing its departure and are confident this exclusive offer will make someone very happy this Christmas. Merlin’s Magic Wand is a charity which provides support for children who are seriously ill, disabled or disadvantaged, so bidders can be confident their donation will be used the best possible way.”

Online auctioneers, eBay say they are used to unusual items being sold, but this will be the first time part of a rollercoaster will be available for sale.  

A spokesperson said: “We see a number of unique items for sale on the site but this truly is a one-off piece for any rollercoaster fans.”