Pants to Poverty is the message being unfurled by a North Yorkshire business.

Knaresborough-based Flying Colours Flagmakers are hoping to hoist the logo onto 5,000 flag poles - accompanied by an image of giant Y-fronts covered in red noses.

The company has won the contract to create the flags for Comic Relief.

They will be sold to businesses and individuals to raise cash for a variety of charities - with at least £50 of the £75 charge being donated.

Company proprietor Andy Ormrod said: "This will be the first time that a pair of pants can legally be flown from a flag pole.

"To keep production costs down, and increase the amount which can be donated to charity, we are trying to draw up as big an order list as we can before they are printed, so that we can make as many as possible in one go. We are hoping to sell more than 5,000."

The flags will be officially launched in London by Lenny Henry later in the year.

Anybody interested can contact the company on 01423 860007.

Updated: 08:42 Thursday, January 18, 2001