DEVELOPMENT agency One NorthEast has added its powerful voice to a campaign led by The Northern Echo to keep a historic collection of paintings in the region.

The agency's chairman, Dr John Bridge, promised yesterday to try to enlist the support of Government ministers to save the set of 17th Century portraits by Spanish artist Francisco de Zurburan, which hang in the Bishop of Dur-ham's official residence, Auckland Castle.

The Church Commissioners are due to consider the future of the paintings of Jacob and his Twelve Sons as early as next week and there are fears that the collection could be split up or sold abroad.

Arts organisations, such as Northern Arts and the National Gallery, are already behind the campaign, which grew out of Bishop Auckland Civic Society's call for the collection to stay in the castle.

Dr Bridge said the Zurburans could be a valuable draw for visitors as the North-East's fast-growing tourist industry expands.

He said: "The collection is part of our regional heritage. We must find ways of retaining it in the North-East.

"I am in London this week and I will be taking the issue up with ministers.

"We need time to come up with a way of keeping the paintings here."

The 8ft portraits have hung in the Long Dining Room at Auckland Castle since they were bought by Bishop Rich-ard Trevor in 1756.

Estimates have put their value at up to £20m, but it is difficult to calculate their worth as there has been no major sale of Zurburans in recent years, and a more realistic figure could be £5m.

When they were displayed in the National Gallery, in London, in 1994 each painting was insured for £125,000.

There are two other series of Jacob and his Twelve Tribes attributed to the school of Zurburan which, like the Auckland Castle pictures, are not signed. These are both in South America.

Spain's national museum, The Prado, in Madrid, owns another collection of 13 Zurburan paintings, Hercules and his Twelve Labours, but does not have it on display.