IT has been a familiar sight to hundreds of thousands of motorists travelling through the heart of the North-East.

But experts believe the Angel of the North could be greeting boats, rather than cars, in the not-too-distant future.

The Energy Saving Trust claims that the climate change and recent weather phenomena - including devastating flooding and storms - could soon alter the face of the region.

To mark this year's Energy Efficiency Week, the trust has created a series of dramatic postcards, digitally manipulating images of famous sites across the country showing what could happen to them by 2050 if steps are not taken to slow the pace of climate change.

David Hamilton, the trust's energy efficiency director, said: "The images we are presenting are an artistic interpretation of what might happen.

"However, climate change is a reality. We have seen examples of it in the recent floods and freak storms in the UK. The more energy we use at home, the more we are damaging our environment.

"On average, each home in the UK releases six tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. That is more than the annual emissions from the average car.

"So the message is simple - start being energy efficient now to avoid scenes like these in future."