by Martin Jefferies
mjefferies@thekmgroup.co.uk

A colourful neon sign designed by controversial artist Tracey Emin lit up a leading auction house, selling for nearly £50,000.

The Turner Prize nominee generously donated the eye-catching artwork - a smaller version of the I Never Stopped Loving You banner she designed for the entrance to Droit House, Margate - to raise money for the Turner Contemporary Art Trust.

It fetched £48,000 when it went under the hammer at Phillips de Pury and Company in London last night.

Describing her masterpiece, Emin, 47, said: "It's a declaration of love for Margate from me but also what I want in the summer.

"Why go to Brighton for a dirty weekend? Come to Margate instead. I want people to come off the train, to walk along the seafront, hold hands and have a snog and say, 'I never stopped loving you'."

The artwork, which had a guide price of £30,000, was auctioned alongside paintings, drawings and photographs by several other high profile artists, including David Hockney and Andy Warhol.

Turner Contemporary, designed by award-winning architect Sir David Chipperfield, is set to open at Margate harbour in spring 2011.

It will be the largest art gallery in the South East and is seen as a catalyst for the regeneration of Margate.