One of the largest collections of books illustrated by the famous North-East artist Thomas Bewick will come under the hammer on Friday.

Several editions of his books on animals and birds, published 200 years ago, together with copies of his autobiography and studies of his work will be sold.

The auction at Anderson Garland in Newcastle, comes as the region finalises plans to celebrate the 250th anniversary of his birth at Cherryburn, near Mickley, in the Tyne Valley.

The firm's book specialist John Anderson said: "The bulk of the collection has come from a collector of Bewick books who has made it his speciality for many years.

"And it has been a particular thrill to me as a book specialist who has catalogued thousands of books over the years to handle rare copies of Bewick's books The Quadrupeds and British Birds.

"Bewick has long left his birthplace at Cherryburn when he first published these famous books.

"But there is little doubt that many of the images of the countryside with which he decorated the spaces at the end of his descriptions of animals or birdfs came from his recollections of the Tyne Valley in his youth."