Ex-Virgin partner to auction British art for charity

Major acts of philanthropy by businesspeople are so rare they should be shouted from the rooftops. As in today's announcement that Robert Devereux , a former partner in the Virgin empire and Richard Branson's brother-in-law, is to sell his collection of British art to set up a charity supporting the arts in Africa. Sotheby's will hold a two-day sale in November of about 400 lots, including work by Patrick Heron, Lucian Freud, Antony Gormley and Gillian Wearing. It is expected to raise about £4m.