ONE of the region's best-known artists, Sheila Mackie, had good and bad news yesterday in her quest to unravel an art mystery.

The good news is that the circus painting she donated to the children of her home town, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, in 1958, will not be sold after all and will remain on view to youngsters.

But the bad news is it will remain in the possession of Northumberland County Council and will only be shown there.

A final decision on whether to sell the work - worth as much as £3,000 - has yet to be made.

Mrs Mackie, a former circus worker who now lives in Shotley Bridge, near Consett, had not seen the painting - one of three she donated to Chester-le-Street children's library in the 1950s - for 40 years until it appeared in the Northern Echo earlier this year.

The Echo's story revealed it was to be sold on behalf of Northumberland County Council.

The other two paintings, both superior to the one remaining piece, have been lost.

How the painting ended up in possession of Northumberland County Council remains a mystery, despite extensive investigations by its original keepers at Durham County Council. The council had hoped to have the painting returned.

Mrs Mackie, a 72-year-old grandmother who is a friend of movie star Charlton Heston and used to teach art to actor Alun Armstrong, from Annfield Plain, said she would not be happy until the work was returned to Chester-le-Street.

She said: "I suppose it is better than it being sold straight away, but I am not really pleased.

"I didn't really give the painting to Durham County Council, let alone Northumberland. I gave it, and the other two, to the children of my home town and that is where it should be."

A spokesman for Durham County Council revealed that the painting, currently on display at an exhibition of Mrs Mackie's work at the DLI art gallery in Durham City, would be returned to Northumberland.

He said: "The story of the lost painting has provoked a considerable amount of discussion and speculation, but, as yet, no further information which offers a definitive explanation as come to light. It remains one of those art mysteries."

A spokesman for Northumberland County Council said the painting would be placed on display at children's libraries in the county for the "forseeable future".

A large number of people have travelled from Chester-le-Street to see the painting at the DLI exhibition.

The exhibition continues at the Aykley Heads gallery until Sunday