IT took two years, 760 hours and £7,400 to make, but finally a group of Shildon embroiderers have unveiled a millennium masterpiece.

The Shildon Art and Craft Textile Group began work on two millennium wall hangings two years ago, with a £700 National Lottery grant to help them.

The embroidered banners, which are 14ft by 8ft, have been given pride of place at St John's Church, Shildon, where they were unveiled and blessed this week by the Archdeacon of Auckland, the Venerable Ian Jagger.

Mal Carson from the group said: "They are in the church because they are so big. That is the only building that will hold them."

The themes are baptism and the elements - air, fire, water and earth. Depicted on the panels are doves, candles, flames and shells.

The wall hangings were worked on by 23 people, including 14 embroiders and a joiner, who helped to mount the finished work.

Mal said: "We are very, very proud of them. It was pretty breathtaking when they were unveiled.We couldn't believe we had done it.