Yellow wristband must-have

It is the latest fashion item, worn by everyone from millionaire Manchester United footballers to US presidential hopeful John Kerry.

However, this season's must-have accessory is not a Rolex watch or a pair of Gucci sunglasses - but a small yellow wristband that costs only £1.

The force behind the bracelets is the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the charity set up by the cyclist in 1997 when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

The first batch, of 5million, were made by Nike in May and took only two months to sell out.

Six million more were produced and already half of those have been sold - raising more than £4million for the charity so far.

In New York, punters are searching the streets for the fashion accessories since they are snapped up as soon as they appear on the shelves of Niketown or other sports shops.

A spokesman for London's Oxford Street Niketown said the wristbands were proving very popular in Britain too.

The message on the bands to 'live strong' is aimed at helping cancer sufferersand survivors to cope with the disease.

Bill Clinton, Ben Affleck, Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow - who lost her father to cancer - have also supported the cause.

Even Armstrong's rival Ivan Basso, whose mother is fighting pancreatic cancer, has snapped one up.