Elsie's red book given to charity

The character Elsie Tanner was unlucky in love

The famous red This Is Your Life book given to Coronation Street actress Pat Phoenix has been donated to a charity shop in Greater Manchester.

The actress, who played glamorous Elsie Tanner on the ITV soap in the 1960s, appeared on the programme in 1972.

The book contains photographs of the star alongside her famous friends and Coronation Street colleagues.

It was given to the Springhill Hospice charity shop in Rochdale anonymously and will be auctioned next month.

Phoenix died of lung cancer in 1986 aged 62, shortly after marrying the actor Tony Booth, father of Prime Minister's wife Cherie Blair.

She was handed the red book when she appeared on This Is Your Life by presenter Eamonn Andrews.

The programme documented the lives of celebrities, and the mementoes would be kept in a large red book which would be handed to the star at the end of each show.

A spokeswoman for the shop said: "We don't know why the person decided to give us the book but it was a wonderful gesture.

"We hope it raises plenty of money for the hospice, as it is a real one-off treasure for Coronation Street fans."