THE loss of a unique collection of paintings could deal the North-East an economic blow, a leading councillor has warned the Church of England.

Durham County Council leader Ken Manton joined the fight led by The Northern Echo and Bishop Auckland Civic Society to stop 13 valuable paintings by 17 Century artist Francisco de Zurburan being lost from the region.

The Church has provoked fierce criticism by its plan to sell off the series of full-length portraits of Jacob and his Twelve Sons, which have hung in the Bishop of Durham's official residence, Auckland Castle, for 250 years.

Church Commissioners, who control its assets, could raise millions of pounds for impoverished parishes by putting the collection on the market and could take the decision as soon as next Thursday.

Campaign supporters including regional development agency One NorthEast and Bishop Auckland MP Derek Foster are asking Government ministers for support.

Yesterday Councillor Manton wrote to commissioner Lady Brentford asking for a meeting, adding the paintings are part of the county's religous heritage.

He told her: "The strength of local feeling about the future of these paintings is well founded.

" Our religious heritage is a very important attraction to the many thousands of tourists who visit County Durham each year on whom many hundreds of jobs depend and on whose spending power our economy increasingly rests.

"The loss of the Zurbaran paintings would be to the significant detriment of our heritage and consequently, I believe, our economy."