Dame Barbara Cartland was a latex favourite

Ice-skating duo Torvill and Dean made �2,820 while the Madonna puppet fetched just �1,292.

However, a specially-made puppet of Osama bin Laden that was expected to be in the sale was not up for grabs because it missed the deadline for inclusion.

Personal

A puppet of art dealer Geoffrey Waddington was the cheapest bargain to be had as it sold for less than �100.

Some celebrities came to the auction in person.

They included comedian Tony Slattery, who claimed he wanted the puppet for identification purposes.

"My passport is up for renewal soon, and I will try to use a picture of the puppet for my passport photo," he said.

Money raised from the Last Laugh auction will go to victims of 11 September and to Afghan refugees.

The bin Laden puppet was the first to be made by Spitting Image's Roger Law since the show ended four years ago.

Law's bin Laden puppet was his first in four years

It has now been given to The Guardian newspaper for readers to decide its fate.

The sale represented the last of the Spitting Image series and featured politicians and stars from the 80s and 90s.

Other popular figures included John McEnroe, Ruby Wax and Nelson Mandela. In addition the Queens corgis and some of the press pigs proved popular.

"This is the last of my collection of puppets who performed in Spitting Image and were destined for the bonfire," said Law.

"Sotheby's sale was so successful last year that they persuaded me to save them from the pyre and give one final chance to those unable to get their hands on a puppet last time."

This year the auction of 271 raised �157,385, which will go to Spitting Image Productions.