Paul Hollywood puts his treasured chopper up for auction after riding it on 3,000 mile journey from New York to Los Angeles - and experts have given it an eyewatering valuation

The Great British Bake Off star Paul Hollywood is offering his impressive Chopper to the highest bidder.

The celebrity baker has listed the motorcycle - a Big Dog Ridgeback - for auction.

Hollywood, 58, well-known bike enthusiast rode the high-powered motorcycle on his 2019 road trip mini-series Paul Goes to Hollywood.

It was built by Big Dog Motorcycles in Kansas in an "old school" hard tail chopper style.

Fitted with a 1750cc v-twin engine, Hollywood covered 3,000 miles (4,830 km) from New York to Los Angeles on it.

Mark Bryan of Iconic Auctioneers, said: 'Celebrity provenance is always great and when you combine it with someone like petrolhead Paul Hollywood, a US road trip TV programme and a cool bike, then it all fits together nicely.' 

The bike is estimated to fetch £12,000 - £14,000 at the MCN London Motorcycle Show on 16 February.

Neighbours living close to Hollywood previously claimed  the Bake Off star had been thundering over their homes in a rather different kind of chopper..

In August, MailOnline captured the moment the star landed his Robinson Raven helicopter on a strip of land between his farmhouse and the local pub in the tranquil village of Smarden, Kent.

Local Sue Keys, 72, said: 'You certainly hear him when he's overhead, there's a lot of aircraft noise anyway what with us being so close to Headcorn air field. 

'He's been using the helicopter for the last three months or so and when he first started I'd be thinking to myself 'what's that? he's a bit low' and It'd give me a bit of a startle but I've got used to it now.'

Another neighbour, who only gave his name as John, 62, said: 'We have horses so when the helicopter comes in on certain days they get a bit spooked and don't like it.

'But having said that, we live in a noisy spot. There's an airfield around the back of us from which Spitfires fly out from, other helicopters and aircraft come flying across over the fields.

'The road is busy during rush-hour and there's a busy pub opposite.' 

A woman who lived a few doors down from Hollywood, however, said she liked him buzzing around, adding: 'I actually like seeing him flying over, it's quite exciting. It makes a change from all the old spitfires that roar over the house.'

Hollywood is said to keep his Robinson Raven chopper at Manston airport rather than the nearby Headcorn Aerodrome as he continues to work towards his private license.

A private license is obtained after 45 hours of flight instruction consisting of 25 hours of dual flight instruction and 10 hours of supervised solo flight time, including at least five hours of solo cross country.

Five hours may be completed in an approved flight simulator.

Paul, who forked out £21,000 for sessions in a Second World War Spitfire, began training to become a pilot two years ago in a bid to escape the 'madness' of his celebrity life.

He explained at the time: 'It's just you, a machine, and you're away from all the madness. Of course I'm a bit nervous. But up there you've got total freedom.'

 Hollywood has hosted The Great British Bake Off since 2010.