A NORTH-EAST engineering company has played a major role in a charity project involving pop stars Jedward, actress Uma Thurman and U2 guitarist The Edge.

Lamplas, based in Consett, County Durham, made 52 8ft fibreglass angels for the Irish Angels – Beacons of Hope exhibition.

The angels were then decorated by Irish and international celebrities.

Those involved, which also included actors Colin Farrell, Cillian Murphy and Brendan Gleeson and Oscar-wining director Neil Jordan, among others, were then given two weeks to decorate an angel, and the finished work is now on a nationwide tour of Ireland.

In March, the angels will return to Dublin to be auctioned in aid of three charities.

Lamplas, which employs about 70 people, usually works in the commercial vehicle, motorhome and caravan market, but was approached to create the angels after a business contact suggested the firm would be ideal for the work.

Michael Gallagher, business and product development manager for Lamplas, which is based on the Castleside Industrial Estate, said: “We are among the largest glass reinforced plastic moulders in the UK, but this is the first time we have been involved with something as unique as this.

“They had needed help with the computer-aided design and approached a man in Ireland who used to work in Newton Aycliffe.

“We made products for the company he worked for, so he mentioned us and the charity got in touch.

“It was a prestigious project to work on, and it was nice to have something different coming in even though these type of jobs are a one-off.

“Our work is usually in the commercial vehicle, holiday home and domestic markets, but our multi-skilled staff and supply partners jumped at the chance to show off their creative and artistic talent.”

The company started working on the angels at the end of September last year, producing about ten a week. They were eventually shipped to Ireland.

Mr Gallagher said: “We delivered on time and to budget.

“Everyone involved was really enthusiastic and pleased to work on the project because it is for such good causes, and to see all the angels lined up was certainly different and quite a sight.

“We knew they were going to put them out to Irish celebrities, they mentioned U2 and a few people like that.”

The money raised will benefit First Step Georgia, which helps disabled orphans in the former Soviet state, Right to Sight, which aims to eliminate preventable blindness in the world, and the Irish President’s Gaisce scheme, similar to The Prince’s Trust in the UK.