AN optimistic perspective has been portrayed amid the gloom of the coronavirus crisis by The Northern Echo’s writer, reviewer and part-time artist, Gavin Engelbrecht.

The veteran reporter, who takes to the easel in his spare time, has used the last week in self-isolation, working from home in north-west Durham, to compose an uplifting message in pastel, titled: 'There is Light'.

Despite the pall cast by the virus, humanity, sensibly adhering to latest advice to maintain a safe social distance, can see there is light beyond the Covid-19 virus on the horizon.

His message comes as the city at the centre of the outbreak of what became the pandemic, Wuhan, in China, has begun to ease some of the lockdown restrictions in place for most of the last three months to tackle the spread.

China’s only recent reported victims of infection are from incomers to the country, with no current positive domestic cases.