A GIANT artwork has been unveiled to celebrate Stockton's place in the history books.

For the image of a sparking friction match by photographer Sarah Pickering has been placed on the outside of the town's Castlegate Shopping Centre facing Riverside Road.

It was inspired by the invention of the friction match in Stockton by John Walker in 1827.

Working with Dr Joe McGinnis in labs at Teesside University, Sarah reproduced the chemical formula of the match head using the original “recipe” recorded in manuscripts at the Preston Park Museum in Stockton.

By recreating and lighting a John Walker “Congreve” match, they were able to capture the same quality of light that would have been seen almost 200 years ago.

Now the 38-metre wide print has been installed on the side of the shopping centre after Sarah’s idea was chosen as the winner of the REFOCUS competition, arranged by Mima, Ellandi, the owners of Castlegate Shopping Centre, and Stockton Borough Council.

She said: “The print is amazing. It’s so wonderful to see my work that big. I don’t know if I ever will again.

The artwork will be on display for two years.