A CARICATURIST has been brought in to brighten up the offices of a housing association.

Local illustrator Paul Slattery has designed a series of murals to adorn the offices of Cestria Community Housing at Lambton Park, near Chester-le-Street.

His imaginative art work features caricatures of members of staff, along with local landmarks and Cestria properties.

Cestria managing director Martin Warhurst, who appears in one of the three murals, said: “We have known Paul for some time now; he has provided entertainment at many of our tenant events over the years and has always been a big hit.

“We have an open plan office and wanted to create something that would not only brighten the place up but also get people talking and bring staff from different departments together.

“The murals have definitely achieved that – they have really captured what Cestria is all about, celebrating the local area and our diverse team of people.”

The first mural was painted on the wall of Cestria’s reception area and features local landmarks including The Angel of the North, Penshaw Monument, the Chester-le-Street viaduct and Durham County Cricket Club, along with some of Cestria’s new properties.

The second was painted on the wall of Cestria’s housing department and portrays members of staff ‘pulling together’ to build new homes, while the third features on the wall of the finance department and shows staff balancing in a pyramid below a circus big top, representing the camaraderie and support among staff.

Mr Slattery said: “Much of my inspiration came from meeting staff, hearing their conversations and just getting a sense of Cestria’s values and ethos.

“It’s been a great project to work on and I’m really pleased everyone is so pleased with the finished result."