A COLLECTION of paintings and prints by North-East artist Tom McGuinness will be sold at auction this month.

The four oil paintings, a watercolour and limited edition print, all depicting mining or colliery village scenes, date from the 1970s and will be sold by Thomas Watson Auctioneers, in Darlington, on Tuesday, October 14.

Steven Dewar, auctioneer and valuer, said paintings by Mr McGuinness were very collectable, especially in the North-East because of its mining history and proximity to mining towns.

The last oil painting by Mr McGuinness to come up for auction in Darlington attracted nationwide interest and sold for £900.

Mr Dewar said: "These have come in from one collection, which is quite a rarity and will, I think, attract quite a bit of interest and sell very well.

"They are not to everyone's taste. He does have a distinctive style, which you either love or hate. I quite like it and my favourite is the colliery canteen."

Mr Dewar expected the oil paintings to sell for up to £1,000 each, with the watercolour and print going for between £100 and £200.

Mr McGuinness, who lives in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, was born in 1926 and worked in the mining industry from 1944 until 1983.

His art has been exhibited widely, including in London galleries.