STUDENTS are reviving a dying art by designing creative coffins.

The unlikely project came about after Ian Lightfoot, head of art and design at Middlesbrough's MacMillan College, was approached by the Undertaken With Love undertakers.

After being asked to come up with an art-deco style coffin for a deceased art lecturer, they hit upon the idea of developing the concept to design tailor-made caskets.

Mr Lightfoot thought it would be a golden opportunity for his students to unleash their imaginations.

"We have 40 students taking GCSE art and they all produced designs, he said. "Out of those, we picked the best five."

Undertaken With Love gave three cardboard and two wooden coffins to the students and Mr Lightfoot said he was impressed by the innovative designs they came up with.

"One of them assumed that the dead person was a postman and they painted a letter box on the front with the words Return to Sender," he said.

"Another student designed a coffin for Elvis Presley."

Now the colourful coffins are on permanent display in Undertaken With Love's parlour, in Mandale Road, Thornaby.

"The students have turned morbid objects into celebrations of life," said Mr Lightfoot.