A MONK has helped carry a replica of St Cuthbert's coffin to Holy Island, as part of a campaign to celebrate his life.

Brother Damien, vicar of the island's St Mary's Church, carried the bamboo replica across the four-mile causeway to support the Journey campaign.

Its members want to raise £200,000 for a bronze sculpture of monks carrying St Cuthbert's coffin, to be set up on Millennium Place, in Durham City.

After the saint's death, monks fearing Viking invaders carried his remains around the region, before he was eventually laid to rest in what is now Durham Cathedral.

Brother Damien was joined by three volunteers who dressed as monks for the walk and about 25 other supporters including Fenwick Lawson, the sculptor who created the wood original from which the bronze cast for the Durham sculpture would be taken.

Four of the walkers were completing the St Cuthbert's Way - leading from Melrose Abbey to Lindisfarne, a sponsored walk which has raised 3£300 for the campaign.

Kirsty Thomas, one of the four, said: "It was great fun. We had a wonderful eco-friendly coffin and a wonderful support crew.

"Brother Damien really entered into the spirit of it all tremendously. He was very encouraging."

The campaign has raised £80,000 to date.

Under its Great North Walk initiative, it is asking people to raise £100 to sponsor each of the 300 miles the Medieval monks carried St Cuthbert's coffin.

For more information, call Janie Bickersteth on 0191-386-2665.