A MASSIVE angel's head sculpture was installed today, making it the latest addition to the growing collection of public artwork at the Team Valley in Gateshead.

The three-metre high sculpture named Golden Angel, was carved by Emily Young and is at UK Land Estates' Maingate Development.

Cut from Persian yellow travertine shipped in from Italy, this seven-ton piece has slowly made its way from London, past the Angel of the North, on the back of a low loader.

In front of curious lunchtime onlookers it was lowered carefully into place by crane as the entrance piece to the new 152,000sq ft flagship scheme at the northern entrance to Team Valley. The sculpture was commissioned by UK Land Estates to grace the new Maingate development, which includes 60,00sqft of top class offices, 12 retail units and a leisure suite of up to 20,000sqft.

Mrs Young is a London-born sculptor, whose work is in collections around the world, and whose installations include St Paul's Churchyard in London and The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London.She is one of Britain's most successful stone sculptors, and currently shares her time between London and Italy.

She works exclusively in stone, and has exhibited widely.Mrs. Young said: "The word angel is derived from the Sanskrit Anjiras, meaning messenger from the gods to man.

"It seems to me that stones can also be seen as messengers from the creation of the planet as they are carrying information from our geological past. The looks on the faces of the angels are not planned as such, they arrive and surprise me often with their softness and sadness, and strength and calm; as did the one created for UK Land Estates."Mrs. Young's Golden Angel joins the decorative glass canopy and reception desk produced by Newcastle-based Bridget Jones and a water feature by London-based Joss Smith.