NEARLY 300 children have visited an exhibition this week to see the world’s smallest Bible.

Schools in Bishop Auckland have been attending the Bible Times Exhibition at the Wear Valley Christian Centre in the town.

The display features dozens of exhibits collected by the town’s former Baptist minister Stan Woods and his wife Brenda.

Among the exhibits is a slide containing the world’s smallest bible, which can only be read through a microscope, and two 3,000 old glass vials used to collect tears.

Mr Woods’ granddaughter Yvonne Etherington is the youth project worker at the centre behind Newgate Street.

She said: “It has been an excellent exhibition, we have had 292 children from five schools come to see it and they have all loved it.

“This is an exhibition about the bible and the time it dates from.”

Also among the exhibits was a Sad Torah, one of a collection of 1,546 scrolls which survived the Nazi purge during the Second World War.

There was also a display on slavery, ancient Egypt and a tapestry depicting the bible.

But Mrs Etherington said there was one big winner – and it was their smallest exhibit.

She said: “The world’s smallest bible has been the most popular exhibit, I’ve seen it many times and yet still find it hard to believe it is real.”

The exhibition is held every year in the centre as well as touring the country.

It has been seen by more than 40,000 people since the collection was started 15 years ago by Mr Woods.