Vintage children's comics which would "make the PC brigade squirm" are expected to fetch more than £1,000 when they go on sale, an auction house said yesterday.

The collection of TV Comic, which dates back to 1951, includes tips about how to collect birds' eggs, make your own toy circus complete with elephants, and create a shooting gallery.

For those worried about childhood obesity in the 21st century, adverts for sweets are endorsed by well-known cartoon characters.

One reads: "Spangles - they're Hopalong Cassidy's favourite - so gallop right down to your sweet shop now for your lovely lot for three pennies!"

The writers and illustrators have also thought of their readers' parents, with lots of double entendres in their comic strips.

There are characters such as Muffin the Mule and a column called "Let's be Gay, by Jennifer".

Martin Thatcher, from Green Chase Books and Auctions, expects the 100 editions of TV Comic to fetch more than £1,200 when they go under the hammer tomorrow.

He said: "This collection would certainly make today's PC brigade squirm. It's all dodgy stuff but it's history and it's fantastic.

"I expect it will attract huge interest because it transcends all the PC stuff. You would be taken to the cleaners if you tried to publish this sort of thing now.