A NEW guide to art in what was once the most neglected stretches of coast in Britain is now available.

Easington Art, a guide to artwork in East Durham, is produced by Turning the Tide, the millennium project to restore the Durham coastline.

The leaflet directs people to some of the commissioned works in the district and outlines artists' career histories and the inspiration behind each piece.

It is illustrated with images of art in the area, including stylised bicycle racks, landscape sculptures, paintings and stained glass windows.

Dave Clarke, arts development officer at District of Easington Council, said: "The information in this new leaflet will challenge some of the misconceptions people who live elsewhere have about this area.

"There is an ongoing movement to create original artworks in the district and the achievements thus far have been remarkable - some are truly inspiring pieces."

Ray Leonard, Turning the Tide project leader, said: "Not only will visitors to the area be able to locate artworks easily using the new leaflet, but by reading about the inspiration behind each piece, they will be in a better position to interpret each artist's vision."

During the past four years, the £10m Turning the Tide partnership has completed almost 100 environmental and community projects along the East Durham coastline.