A BUMPER art exhibition and book sale saw hundreds of visitors scour the shelves and support an historic church.

The annual Easter event sees a range of artwork on show by local artists and donated books for sale.

Proceeds go towards the 208-year-old Manningtree Methodist Church, which hosts the exhibition and sale.

Organiser, Brian Cuthbertson, said: “We were quite busy.

“We had just short of 400 paintings and we sold a good percentage of them. All the artists are from a 20-mile radius. We had abstract, art studies, watercolours and landscapes.

“It was a good mix and a good display. Lots of people came and had a cup of tea and a piece of cake.”