ACTOR Rupert Friend is to auction his motorbike in aid of a West Oxfordshire charity.

The Homeland star, who grew up in Stonesfield, revealed on Twitter he had put his red Honda Shadow 1100 – which has also been ridden by co-star Damien Lewis – up for sale in aid of Charlbury-based Special Effect, which helps disabled children through video games.

Friend, a former pupil of the Marlborough School, in Woodstock, who now lives in the US, is a vice-president of the charity.

The charity’s communications officer, Mark Saville, said: “This is a lovely gesture from him that came almost out of the blue when we found out on Twitter.”