A GRAPHIC artist with roots in the North-East has had her home town's most iconic structure tattooed on her arm.

Sam Kitchener grew up in Redcar and last year joined the Save our Steel Heritage campaign after finding out about it when she got a tattoo of the town's blast furnace last October.

The intricate design is based on an oil painting by North-East artist Tom French.

The 31-year-old, who now lives in Brighton, is doing a PhD to research how digital technology like virtual and augmented reality can be used to encourage interaction and participation in heritage, and is using the former steelworks site as a case study.

The tattoo was done using a single needle and took four hours to complete.

Sam, whose father worked at the steelworks, said: "For me, it's a symbol of who I am and and where I come from and it reminds me of home.

"I've had some really good reactions to it.

"It's quite different but even though it's industrial it's quite elegant.

"My family love it as well."

She added: "I'm really proud of it."