A MUSEUM has been given a £56,000 security upgrade worthy of a bank vault so it can play host to priceless works of art.

Talks have already been held with the Tate and York Museums Trust by the Dales Countryside Museum to see what works could be on offer.

The museum at Hawes has had steel doors and a massive retractable shutter installed in the main John Baker exhibition hall.

It is hoped the upgrade will pave the way for works by Yorkshire Dales favourite, Turner and other renowned artists to go on show, as the museum will be insured under the Arts Council's Government Indemnity scheme.

Museum manager, Fiona Rosher said: “We are keen to develop our temporary exhibitions programme to draw more people to the museum, not least residents of the National Park. We want to bring art here that locals might not ordinarily get the chance to see.

“We are looking to borrow art and artefacts from large regional and national institutions. The only criterion is that the art is relevant to our mission, which is to inspire people through Dales heritage.”

The museum is owned and run by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. Julie Barker, head of visitor services, said: “This security upgrade is a sign of the countryside museum's ambitions.

"We want to create new experiences that will make the museum viable in the long term and this work places us in a unique position of being able to exhibit material from national collections.

“We are so fortunate to have a museum in the park dedicated to telling the stories of the people and places of the Yorkshire Dales."

Funding for the £56,000 upgrade came through the Arts Council, the park authority and friends of the museum.