ACCLAIMED North Yorkshire sculptor Sally Arnup has died in hospital at the age of 85.

Mrs Arnup, who was internationally renowned for her sculptures of animals, dies from septicaemia at York Hospital.

She worked from studios at Holtby, near York, and continued to work hard until this year, having two major shows at Kensington, London, and Gallery 108 in Harrogate, said her son Ben.

"She was modelling a large sculpture of a horse near Thirsk when she had a stroke in a stable at the beginning of October," he said.

He said she arrived in York in 1957 with her husband, Mick Arnup, after they had both qualified at the Royal College of Art. "Mick had a post at York Art School and Sally soon taught sculpture there.

"For seventy years, Sally developed animal sculptures. Her work is well-represented around York, and her large and small sculptures were sold around the world. Commissions came from well-known customers, including Prince Philip."

She had four children, Rebecca, Ben, a ceramicist, Tobias, an art therapist and Hannah, who set up Ballymorris Pottery in Ireland.