THE region's latest and arguably most striking piece of public art has taken the first tentative step towards its final resting place.

In Our Image, a £165,000 sculpture of a head and shoulders that appears as if still under construction, was lifted out of the factory where it is being constructed. The 1.5 tonne head structure was manoeuvred out of Aycliffe Fabrications' workshop today (MON) so it could be connected to the shoulders.

Designed by Gateshead artist, Joseph Hillier, it will now be painted before being installed at the main entrance to Aycliffe Business Park, County Durham.

Mr Hillier said: "This is a very exciting and nerve-wracking stage of the project with the results of over eighteen months' work dangling from the end of a crane arm. "This is the only time the work will be seen in this way but it should give a strong impression of how the piece will be seen against the sky when it is in place, later next month."

The piece, which was commissioned by the former Sedgefield Borough Council, will stand at 16.7m tall and will help raise the profile of the business park.

Graham Wood of Durham County Council, said: "In Our Image ideally reflects the progressive attitude of County Durham.

"We believe projects like this provide the perfect impetus to drive towns like Newton Aycliffe forward on a business, social and tourism platform.

"The iconic structure that has been designed by Joseph Hillier and fabricated locally by Aycliffe Fabrications has the capabilities of becoming a real world-beater and positively promoting the name of Newton Aycliffe on a global scale."