AN ADMIRED artist is painting a portrait of Sussex’s own Piers Morgan to raise money for the Stand Up To Cancer campaign.

Leslie Norah Hills paints from a mini studio she has set up in the window of the Cancer Research UK shop in High Street, Lewes.

For three years she has been painting famous faces and has chosen her latest subject as Newick’s Piers Morgan.

She said: “I wanted to draw Piers Morgan because he’s so well known and will get people talking - he’s like Marmite, people either love him or they hate him.

“I wrote to him to ask his permission, and gave him a choice of pictures I could have drawn from.

“I think he looks very authoritative in the one he’s chosen though.”

The picture Ms Hills will paint Mr Morgan from shows the controversial presenter holding a finger up as he speaks. It is taken from one of his appearances presenting Good Morning Britain on ITV.

Ms Hills has been creative her whole life, previously designing embroidery patterns for a living and publishing three books.

However the 77-year-old only started painting five years ago, after being diagnosed with cancer herself.

Now in remission, she decided that selling her paintings would be the best way to raise money for the charity, to ensure others with the disease get the same care she did.

She said: “They say that one in three people is affected by cancer now. Some of the stories I hear of people who I’m asked to paint are really heartbreaking so I’m only too happy to do it for them.

“Quite a lot of the disease is genetic – if they can find the fault hopefully they can find a cure.

“We’ve already eradicated smallpox and tuberculosis – perhaps cancer will be next.”

By selling her portraits at £100 a time, she has raised more than £30,000 for the charity, making on average £1,000 a month.

In the past, the artist-in-residence has drawn Theresa May, Ronnie Corbett, Boris Johnson and Dame Vera Lynn, among other famous faces.

She has also painted everyday heroes of Lewes, including a policewoman and even a Lewes Big Issue seller which helped raise the profile of the charity for the homeless.

Her Piers Morgan portrait is part of a month long fundraiser in the shop, run by 20 volunteers, for Stand Up To Cancer.

The charity shop is also running a silent auction from up until 3pm on October 20, when the winners will be contacted by telephone.

Prizes available for bidding include a voucher for a portrait by Ms Hills and 18 other lots. Author Peter James will also be signing copies of his much-loved novels in the shop from 1.30-2.30pm on Monday, October 30.