IT PAYS to advertise with the Evening Star as one Martlesham man found out.After putting in an advert for three mannequins Bob Dunnett from Main Road was inundated with calls from across the country.

IT PAYS to advertise with the Evening Star as one Martlesham man found out.

After putting in an advert for three mannequins Bob Dunnett from Main Road was inundated with calls from across the country.

In total 53 interested buyers phoned from as far north as Middlesborough and all along the South East Coast.

A bewildered Mr Dunnett, who is vice-chairman of the Martlesham Heath Aviation Society said he had bought the mannequins from an Ipswich store to use at the control tower museum.

He said: "Once we had put them all together we found we had more than we needed so we decided to advertise them in the Evening Star.

"It went in on the Thursday and then it was fairly quiet and I thought I may have to put it in again.

But then on the Monday there was a call from a man who lived in Sussex.

"He said he had seen it in the zany column of the local paper."

Following the call from Sussex there were some from Hastings, Halesham, Brighton, Bournemouth and Bedfordshire.

Mr Dunnett said: "They were eventually bought by the Bedfordshire branch of the Royal British Legion.

"I spoke to a man from Worthing who said they were desperate to get hold of some.

"The advertisement just seems to have gone nationwide – you certainly do get good coverage with the Evening Star."