AN auction of vintage and rare items raised £3million yesterday, which will go towards Poole Hospital’s cancer care services.

The 10-hour sale at Bonhams auction house in London featured classic cars, vintage motorcycles, decorative arts and mascots, rare watches and cameras. They all belonged to the late Robert White, a Poole businessman who left a legacy worth an estimated £10million to the hospital.

The money raised in London yesterday will go towards funding a new £7m radiotherapy unit, operated by Poole Hospital’s Dorset Cancer Care team at Dorchester’s Dorset County Hospital.

Robert also made a substantial donation to Poole Hospital before his death, by selling his lifetime collection of Brough Superior vintage motorcycles to close friend, US chat show king and comedian Jay Leno.

Shortly after this sale Robert donated £3.5 million to Poole Hospital so that work on the Robert White Cancer Centre could begin.

Robert lost his own battle with cancer aged 62, but his legacy will be felt by thousands of others who fight the disease.

The new radiotherapy unit will reduce the time people in west Dorset currently face to travel to Poole for cancer treatment.

Poole Hospital chief executive Debbie Flemming said: “Every donation to the hospital - large or small in time, money, or expertise - is important in helping us to give patients and visitors the best possible experience.

“On this occasion, with such a very significant donation and legacy, Robert White’s immense generosity has enabled us to make a real step change in the development of cancer services in Dorset.

“We are truly indebted to him.”

Writing in the programme accompanying the Bonhams auction, Jay Leno said: “We spent time together in England before he died. He didn’t feel sorry for himself or ‘woe-is-me’. He realistically faced up to his position and decided he wanted to give something back to the people in Poole who had helped him with his illness.

“And so he and I agreed that I would buy his collection of Broughs for the benefit of the Poole hospital and the cancer wing he wanted to create.”

Proceeds from the auction will also be used by the Robert White Trust Fund to purchase additional items that are not available from the NHS to enhance patient care and experience.

A Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust spokesman explained: “This includes funding new state-of-the-art equipment at Poole Hospital, including a new CT scanner to help accurately identify cancer sites and a permanent PET scanner.”

Dr Mike Bayne, a consultant oncologist at the hospital, treated Robert until his death.

He said: “The impact that Mr White’s incredible generosity will have on patients facing cancer in Dorset cannot be overstated.This lasting legacy will continue to benefit patients and their families for years to come, enabling the people of Dorset to receive the very latest and most effective diagnoses and treatments for a range of cancers, and supporting our skilled clinicians and nursing teams to be among the most advanced in the country.”