Paintings which have hung in the Bishop of Durham's residence for more than 250 years may be sold by the Church of England.

The works, valued at £10m, by Spanish artist Francisco de Zurbaran, are in Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland, County Durham.

The Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Michael Turnbull, said that a final decision on the works - collectively entitled Jacob and his Twelve Sons - would be made by the Church Commissioners' Board of Governors.

He said: "It has been here for 250 years and my predecessors and myself have lived with them. The question of selling them has come up from time to time."

Spain's national art gallery, the Prado in Madrid, is reported to be interested in acquiring the works.

Any money raised would be used to help subsidise cash-strapped parts of the church.

Former Bishop of Durham Dr David Jenkins said the sale of the paintings marked a sign of the times.

He said: "I don't think they should be sneaked away without some debate about it, and people should know what they are doing.

"I should have thought that sooner or later this question would come up. It's a sign of the times really.

"The Church of England is not a feature for ancient monuments. It has got to use them to set it free to get on with the gospel of today."

The Dean of Ripon, the Very Reverend John Methuen, said he backed the sale, because the commissioners want to concentrate resources on the greatest need.

The commissioners are understood to be drawing up a list of all their assets for sale.

One commissioner, who has not been named, was reported as saying: "There is no sense in holding on to such assets, which bear no relationship with the Church of England."

De Zurbaran is a national hero in Spain, but is little known in this country