Jon Lee practised on the drum kit

Jon Lee, who was from Newport in south Wales, killed himself at his home in Miami in Florida 18 months ago.

His friend Kelvin Reddicliffe, 48, has put Mr Lee's top of the range drum kit on sale to raise money for Childline Cymru and the Noah's Ark Appeal - the fund for the first children's hospital to be built in Wales.

Mr Lee, who was 33 when he died, practised on the drum kit while he was growing up in Newport and used it during the early performances of the internationally famous group.

It is now on display at Gamlin's music store in Newport and on an auction website so that buyers can see the Yamaha and Tama kit before placing their bids.

The drum kit has a reserve price of �2,500

Mr Reddicliffe, a manager of a shoe repair shop in the city said: "I was close friends with Jon and I still see his parents.

"When we were chatting one day, they happened to mention that they had a kit of Jon's in the attic.

"I asked them if I could buy it and was going to keep it for myself, but then I decided to sell it to raise money for charity.

"The two I chose were very close to Jon's heart - particularly the Noah's Ark Appeal to build the first children's hospital in Wales and I am sure he would have wanted me to do something like this," he added.

The drum kit has been given a �2,500 reserve price, but Mr Reddicliffe said he hopes the bids will be higher.

Mr Reddicliffe hopes that the drums will raise thousands for charity

"It's a real top-of-the-range kit and I'm hoping to raise as much money as possible for charity," he said.

"It's the sort of kit that every teenage lad who fantasises about being a rock star dreams of.