British funnyman Stan Laurel's childhood home goes on sale

Bids start at 40,000 pounds for the two-bedroom property in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, where the star comedian, famous for his double acts with Oliver Hardy, lived with his parents.

The empty house, home to Laurel and his actor parents when he was a baby, is up for sale through Keith Pattinson estate agents, reported Daily Express.

Although Laurel was born in Cumbria, he spent much of his childhood in Bishop Auckland and was educated at the town's King James Grammar School.

Above the front door of the mid-terraced house a blue commemorative plaque reads, "Stan Laurel (Arthur Stanley Jefferson) of Laurel and Hardy lived in this house with his parents. He was baptised in St Peter's Church on 21st October 1891."

A spokeswoman for the estate agents said she hoped the property would attract Laurel and Hardy fans.

The auction will take place at the Newcastle Falcons Rugby Club ground on March 29.
Laurel, whose career stretched from the silent films of the early 20th century until after World War II, died aged 74 in the US in 1965.