Child porn inquiry over artwork

The Baltic Centre opened in 2002

Police are continuing to examine an art exhibit seized from a Tyneside gallery amid fears it may have breached child pornography laws.

The image is being examined by Northumbria Police to determine whether it is legal.

A police spokeswoman said the item was taken from Gateshead's Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art on Thursday.

A spokeswoman for the gallery, which opened in 2002, said no exhibitions were being removed as a result.

Police were alerted by Baltic managers the day before a number of exhibits were due to be unveiled.

'Seeking advice'

The artist's name has not been released, but according to the Baltic website, five exhibitions were due to open to the public last Friday.

A spokeswoman for Northumbria Police said: "We attended the Baltic last Thursday at the invitation of management, who were seeking advice about an item from an exhibition prior to it going on public display.

"This item is being assessed and Northumbria Police, in consultation with the CPS, is investigating the circumstances surrounding it."

A CPS spokeswoman confirmed that in such cases its experts gave police preliminary advice.

But she said that it would not be involved in the investigation until a file had been received from officers.

The £46m modern art gallery, on Gateshead's Quayside, has attracted 2.5m visitors since it opened.