THE biggest wind turbines in the world have been erected off the coast of Northumberland.

The colossal structures, which have blades larger than the wingspan of a jumbo jet, are being tested before they go into production.

They are rooted on the bed of the North Sea, a mile off Blyth, and are the first offshore turbines in the UK.

They are also the biggest in the world, standing 300ft above the water and buried 50ft under the seabed.

In full operation, the two turbines will generate enough electricity to power 9,000 households.

Great holes were drilled in the seabed and 130-tonne piles placed inside, to ensure the structures were secure.

The turbines are jointly owned by a consortium of power companies, including Northumberland-based Border Wind.

The firm's David Still said: "This could be the future of power generation in this country. The Government has set a target of having ten per cent of electricity generation from renewable sources by the year 2010.

"A major provider of that will be the wind, which will power turbines both onshore and offshore. These are the biggest in the world and they really are enormous, with 66-metre blades.

"Although they are big and can be seen from miles away, they actually look very elegant on the skyline.

"The great thing about offshore windfarms is that several turbines can be operated in one location, which often is not possible on land.