A PUB and its customers have won a charity's praise after collecting more than 1,000 corks for a campaign.

The RSPB asked people to collect wine corks to make a huge eagle symbolising the plight of rare birds threatened by the decline of Portuguese cork orchards.

Having completed the initiative, the charity has now installed the eagle at the Eden Project, in Cornwall.

To support the appeal, the Church Mouse, on Great North Road, Chester-le-Street, saved its own corks and asked customers to donate theirs.

It was heaped with praise by the RSPB after handing over more than 1,000 corks.

RSPB senior project manager, Conor Jameson, said: "We are extremely pleased with the efforts of all the staff and guests - it is nice to engage the support of so many people at a local level.

"I guess we have to be grateful that the wine was so good, it kept people coming back for more."

A photograph of the cork eagle, which is eight metres high and has a wingspan of 12 metres, will now take pride of place at the inn, along with a thank-you letter from the RSPB.

Landlord Robert Middlemiss said: "It was great to be involved in the project from start to finish and see the significant contribution that our guests made.

"Our wines are very popular and we handed over several bin bags full of corks - I think we must have been responsible for a large part of the magnificent sculpture."