Sistine display

It took devoted Catholic Gary Bevans five years of meticulous dedication to recreate Michelangelo's masterpiece on the giant ceiling at English Martyrs Catholic Church, in Goring, a decade ago.

Five hundred people a week flock to see the creation and on Saturday the curator holds an exhibition at the church to sell off almost 1,000 detailed sketches of the chapel.

Mr Bevans, 50, of Boxgrove, said: "I was inspired to paint the original following a parish trip to Rome. As I stood there looking up at the great ceiling, I realised it was the same shape as our church.

"People kept wanting to know how on earth it was possible and this exhibition will show them."

The father-of-two, who spent 40 hours per week painting the church ceiling whilst juggling a full-time job as a signwriter, was given a special award by John Paul II on its completion for services to the Church and the Pontiff.

Mr Bevans, who spent 1,500 and slept under a cardboard box at the Vatican to join five million mourners at the Pope's funeral, added: "That's why we dropped everything and went to Rome when we heard the Pope was ill.

"We queued for five hours surrounded by monks, nuns and polish people to see his body lying in state.

"He was such a special man, our father. Just to see those people who had got on buses, planes and trains to be there was a wonderful experience."

The exhibition takes place at English Martyrs Catholic Church, in Goring Way, on Saturday from 10am to 9pm.