A NORTH-SOUTH wrangle over who gets the priceless Lindisfarne Gospels has finally been settled.

A dispute has been raging for years about whether the gospels should return home.

North-East campaigners believe they should have a permanent place on Holy Island where they were penned by monks in the 7th Century.

But the British Library in London - where the tomes have been kept since they were seized by Henry VIII in 1537 - has refused to give them up.

Last night, it appeared the argument had been settled in London's favour - but at a cost to the Library.

A compromise has been reached whereby high quality copies are to go on permanent display in the North-East.

Although the original will remain in London, two laser quality facsimiles of the lavishly illustrated manuscripts will be handed over for display in the North-East.

One will be presented to Durham Cathedral, from where the gospels were removed during Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries, while the other will go on show in the Heritage Centre at Lindisfarne.

The monks of Lindisfarne produced the documents in an era when Holy Island was considered the "cradle of Christianity" in medieval Britain.

Although the news will disappoint campaigners , the Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Michael Turnbull, struck a more philosophical note. The Bishop, who has been at the forefront of negotiations for the return of the gospels, welcomed the facsimiles as a next best solution.

He said: "It's the result of lengthy negotiations, but it is clear the management of the British Library will not consider the gospels coming up permanently, or even for a series of short visits."

In the long term he still hopes they may be returned home.

The British Library is paying for the copies by a specialist Swiss company.

Others will be presented to the Vatican Library in Rome and to an archive in Chicago.

A ceremonial handover will take place at Durham Cathedral on May 15, and at Lindisfarne the following day. An exhibition featuring the original at The British Library will begin on May 16.

Nearly 200,000 visitors viewed the gospels when they were loaned to Newcastle's Laing Art Gallery, in 2000.