Whitney sells stage outfits 'to pay off debts' (From Stourbridge News)

Whitney sells stage outfits 'to pay off debts'

A court-imposed auction of Whitney Houston's old gear is set to be held to help pay off her debts.

Around 300 items held in storage for the singer's 1999 world tour will be auctioned next week to help pay for nearly $200,000 (£100,000) in outstanding storage fees.

Items include designer dresses made for the star by Dolce and Gabbana, Donna Karan and Versace, sound systems, three Schimmel grand pianos and a variety of stage sets and props from the tour.

The items were being held in Irvington, New Jersey by company Speed of Sound. The company took Whitney Houston's company, Nippy Inc, to court after they failed to pay the outstanding storage charges.

The auction, to be held on Tuesday, will be held at an Irvington warehouse.

Steve Newark, co-owner of AJ Willner Auctions said there will be no starting prices on the items and all will go to the highest bidder. "There's some pretty personal stuff in there. Even her underwear is in there. I was marvelling at the waist of some of these clothes. They're pretty small," he said.

"The auction is open to the public, but only for qualified buyers. We're probably going to combine a lot of the individual items, like the costumes. It's not for a teenage fan hoping to buy one of Houston's trinkets."

A spokeswoman for the 43-year-old star said the auction will help the singer get rid of some old items. Whitney's company will receive proceeds from the auction after her outstanding debt to Speed of Sound has been paid.

Whitney's debts have kept her in the media forefront recently. She narrowly avoided a court-imposed auction of items at her New Jersey mansion after she fell behind on mortgage and tax payments.