Cosby sweaters in charity auction

The Cosby Show was one of the biggest US sitcoms of the 1980s

Three sweaters worn by comic Bill Cosby on the long-running Cosby Show are to be auctioned online to raise money for a charity named after his late son.

According to Cosby's daughter Evin, the 70-year-old was cleaning out a closet when he came across the garments.

The items will be sold to raise funds for the Hello Friend/Ennis William Cosby Foundation, which raises money to benefit educational programs.

Cosby's son Ennis was murdered in Los Angeles in 1994 at the age of 27.

The veteran comedian, who has three other daughters in addition to Evin with his wife Camille, formed the foundation three years later.

The auction on online giant eBay is scheduled for 2 to 12 June, with minimum bids set at $5,000 (£2,537).

"The price of what some of these sweaters might sell for could make a big difference in the lives of thousands of children," said Evin Cosby.

Bill Cosby played Cliff Huxtable in The Cosby Show between 1984 and 1992, winning fame for his sometimes questionable jumpers.