A WATERCOLOUR painting of a former steelworks is to be given pride of place in a County Durham library.

Artist Richard Sell, who lives in Cambridge, has donated the painting to Consett Library.

The atmospheric scene was painted by Mr Sell, 83, during a visit to the area in about 1975, five years before the steelworks closed.

Mr Sell said: "I was staying with my son and daughter-in-law at Waterhouses at the time and I painted the picture for fun, for pleasure.

"I'm a professional artist, largely a print maker, but I use watercolour quite a lot as well.

"I painted it because I was intrigued with the shapes of the buildings and the general atmosphere.

"I was sitting in a field, somewhere near Leadgate, and painted it fairly quickly.

"My wife and I are very fond of that part of the country and we thought Consett was a good destination for the picture.

"I hope people get as much pleasure from the painting as I had doing it. It's nice to know that it is appreciated."

Mr Sell asked family friend Dr Shirley Lee, of Blanchland, to help find a good home for the painting earlier this year.

Durham County Council library manager Maureen Robinson said the library was proud to offer a home to the painting, which was a fitting reminder of Consett's past.

She said: "Steel visually dominated the landscape of Consett, which was one of the world's leading steel-making towns until the closure of the works in 1980.

"The painting will remind library users of all ages of their town's heritage."