Paris is the latest international celebrity to donate a designer handbag to the second annual Handbag Amnesty, a partnership between handbag.com, the home of fashion, beauty, hair and celebrity and Cancer Research UK.

Handbag Amnesty 2009, part of handbag.com’s dedicated Handbag Month, will take place throughout September, culminating in an exclusive handbag.com celebrity handbag auction from 2nd – 11th October, to tie in with breast cancer awareness month.

Paris Hilton has joined other A-listers including Rachel Weisz, Rachel Bilson, Heidi Klum, Scarlett Johansson, Peaches Geldof and Alesha Dixon, all of whom have given up a favourite handbag from their personal collection. Even Alexander McQueen has donated.

All profits will go to Cancer Research UK, the largest single funder of breast cancer research in the UK, having spent £44million on groundbreaking research last year alone.

Handbag Amnesty 2009 isn’t just about celebrity donations. Members of the public are also being asked to join in the fundraising by simply taking any unwanted handbag to their local Cancer Research UK shop. Handbags are one of the most popular items in Cancer Research UK charity shops across the country and sell like hot-cakes.

In return for donating their handbags and other quality used-goods, members of the public will be able to enter a draw to win a fantastic designer handbag to replace the one they have donated.

handbag.com Digital Publisher Sara Stephenson says: “Last year was such a success in terms of celebrity and public involvement, and thanks to the joint effort from handbag.com and Cancer Research UK, more than 20 celebrities have already donated to Handbag Amnesty 2009. At this rate we’re well on the way to beating last year’s target.”

Terry Mills, of Cancer Research UK, says: “We’re delighted to be working with handbag.com again after last year’s hugely successful campaign. If as many people donate unwanted handbags and bid in the celebrity auction this year, we’ll be able to raise even more to beat breast cancer. It is now the most common cancer in the UK and although more women are surviving than ever before, there’s still a lot to do.”

For a complete list of bags up for auction as well as more information on how to help, go to www.handbag.com/amnesty.