Part of the money from a charity auction will pay for a permanent memorial to the woman who organised it before her sudden death.

Bianca Heard, 29, was in Barcelona with her friend Mark Whiting when he found her dead in her hotel room on May 14.

The results of the post mortem examination have not yet been released by the Spanish authorities but police believe she died from a drugs overdose. Mr Whiting, however, said he does not believe that drugs were involved in her death.

Ms Heard had arranged an art exhibition and auction at Brighton Rocks, the Brighton bar she managed, just days before she died.

Before her trip she told The Argus that she wanted the auction, which will go ahead tomorrow, to raise thousands of pounds for Pride and Amnesty International - causes she felt passionately about.

Actress Patsy Palmer will compere the auction, with half the money going towards the charities and half going towards a memorial for Bianca overlooking the sea.

The auction will include 16 pieces of artwork from local artists including Jeremy Sanders, Julie-Anne Gilburt and Karren Urben.

Staff at Brighton Rock, in Rock Place, Kemp Town, have also secured auction prizes from businesses including tickets for the Royal Opera House, restaurant dinners and nights in hotels.

Mr Whiting said: "We've got some really good stuff up for auction and we want people to come and spend some money because that's what Bianca would have wanted."

A low-key funeral for Ms Heard took place on May 27 in Barcelona but a memorial service is being organised by her mother in Preston Park on Wednesday, to be followed by a party at Brighton Rocks to celebrate her life.

Mr Whiting said: "I'm 100 per cent convinced her death had nothing to do with the rumours or the assumptions of the police. As far as I'm concerned they're saying it looks likes drugs just because she was so young. I know it wasn't drugs - I knew Bianca.

"All we had were a few drinks in a bar until 3am and Bianca died at noon that day. The timings don't add up and the fact is they haven't found any trace of it in her blood."

Miss Heard was Australian but had lived in Brighton for four years and had worked at Brighton Rocks for two.

Details of the memorial service will be announced in due course.

The auction begins at 7.30pm.