David Cameron agreed to help out at a charity auction – only to be outshone by a four-year-old.

The Prime Minister sent a hand-drawn piece of artwork to be sold on eBay to raise money for St Wilfrid’s Hospice in Eastbourne.

His simple sketch of a sheep above the words Thinking of Ewe fetched £195.

But artwork produced by four-year-old Eva Grandi from Eastbourne did even better – generating £199.19 for the charity.

At Eton the Prime Minister gained an A in his history of art A-Level.

Mr Cameron is known to be a fan of modern art, in particular the work of Tracey Emin, one of whose pieces he has had displayed in Downing Street.

The Big Art Secret event was launched to raise money for St Wilfrid’s Hospice, which helps care for hundreds of people at the end of their lives.

Postcard art

More than 500 postcard-sized pieces of art were produced for the internet auction, from children and pensioners, amateur artists, professional painters and celebrities.

Those bidding could see the pictures but did not know who had produced them.

A total of £50,000 was raised, with successful bids being made from around the world for works by, among others, David Dimbleby, Ronnie Corbett, Sue Pollard and Tara Fitzgerald.

One bidder from America snapped up all four Emin pieces on offer and there were also winning bids from Germany, Hong Kong and Japan.

Sheep inspiration

When the charity asked him for something to auction, Mr Cameron produced a drawing of a sheep after being inspired at his country residence.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister drew the sheep because he saw one while looking out of his window at Chequers.

“I’m sure he would be delighted Eva’s pieces raised even more than his.”

There was some small crumb of comfort for the PM by the performance of his fellow politicians.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s sketch of a face wearing a tie earned only £71 while former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown’s horned character sold for £46 and Eastbourne Lib Dem MP Stephen Lloyd’s We love Eastbourne effort went for £56.

Hockney and Emin

In contrast, four sketches by Emin raised almost £8,000, one by David Hockney sold for £2,650 and a piece by graffiti artist Pure Evil, who was in BBC’s The Apprentice last year, was bought for £104.

Duncan Adams, the marketing manager at St Wilfrid’s, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the support we have been given to help raise so much to transform end of life care. It has brought us a lot of new attention.”

St Wilfrid’s cares for people in the Eastbourne, Polegate, Pevensey, Seaford, Hailsham, Heathfield and Uckfield areas.

It costs £3.5 million a year to run its services and relies on the support of the community.

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