Heath Ledger honoured with charity T-Shirt

Heath Ledger's family have marked the fifth anniversary of the tragic star's death by releasing a commemorative T-Shirt.

The Dark Knight star died from an accidental overdose on 22 January, 2008 and his family and friends have come together to create a special garment in his memory to raise funds for charity.

Heath Ledger's sister Elana Rosa designed the T-Shirt using an image of the actor posing with a skateboard taken by photographer Ben Watts, the older brother of actress Naomi Watts, during a Los Angeles photoshoot.

It is the first product to be approved by the trustees of Ledger’s estate and be endorsed by his family.

In a post on the Australian actor's official website, Ben Watts recalls the shoot, writing, "We shot down in the LA (Los Angeles) river, I wanted to shoot something that Heath could have fun with and not about the fashion or just being good looking... which I knew he would not be so happy with.

"Heath loved surfing and skating so I knew it would make for a great day of pics which Heath would enjoy... We spent hours down there, the time just flew by because he was loving it and so was I... I think that day (with a bit of good planning and the magic of Heath), we effortlessly made some of the best pics I’ve ever taken. The sun shone hot that day... a day I will never forget."

Proceeds from sales of the item will benefit the Channel 7 Australia Telethon Trust, the Australians in Film Organization and the Heath Ledger Scholarship program which provides young Australian actors with the means to travel to the U.S. to further their training.