ROCK star Sir Elton John has asked for an exhibition of photographs he owns to be taken off public display in the North-East a week after one of the images was seized by police in a child pornography probe.

The musician on Monday asked gallery bosses at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead to close the exhibition just nine days after it opened.

The photograph was seized by detectives on September 20, the day before an exhibition of the musicians private collection was due to go on display.

It was among 149 photographs by controversial American photographer Nan Goldin that are owned by Sir Elton John and which formed the Thanksgiving exhibition at the Baltic.

The rest of the photographs went on display on Friday, September 21 as planned, but the musician has now asked the gallery to cancel the exhibition completely.

It had been due to run until January 20, 2008.

A Baltic spokesman said tonight: "Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, at the request of the Sir Elton John Photography Collection, has closed the exhibition, Thanksgiving, by Nan Goldin.

"After the removal of one image from the series it was no longer possible for Baltic to exhibit the collection of works as the artist intended and therefore Baltic is sympathetic to Sir Elton John's request and supportive of the decision."

The image, entitled Klara And Edda Belly-dancing, depicts an image of two naked young girls and was taken by Nan Goldin.

It is still being examined by Northumbria Police to see if it breaches pornography legislation.

Concerned management at the flagship Baltic arts centre called in police on September 20 and officers removed the exhibit from the multi-million-pound art gallery on Thursday, the day before the exhibition opened.

A spokesman for Northumbria Police said at the time: "We attended the Baltic last Thursday at the invitation of management who were seeking advice about an item from an exhibition prior to it going on public display.

"This item is being assessed and Northumbria Police in consultation with the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) is investigating the circumstances surrounding it."