OLD-FASHIONED artist Fred Horsman exhibited a crushed drinks can at a gallery to prove modern art was rubbish.

But the 75-year-old was stunned when an art enthusiast bought the piece of junk he found in the street for £20.

Retired dentist Mr Horsman, a talented painter and sculptor from Tynemouth, framed the can and sent it to a university art exhibition for a joke.

He said: "I love art and I've sculpted and painted for decades, but I think so much of what passes for art now is just junk.

"I paid £10 for a frame, stuck it down and took it along to the University of Northumbria's Gallery in the summer.

"I didn't think they'd accept it, but I was amazed when I got a letter back saying that my work - "Can" - had been sold and I got a cheque for £14, minus the £6 hanging fee. I love my landscapes so I think I'll just stick to them.

Mr Horsman, a member of Tynemouth Arts Group, has had his own exhibitions in the past.

A spokeswoman for the University of Northumbria's University Gallery said: "The person who bought this did so as a joke present for someone else. They had no illusions it was a piece of genuine art.

"Anyone could exhibit their work during the summer exhibition as long as they paid the £6 hanging fee."