A Christian group is taking an art centre to court, claiming it displayed an indecent statue of Jesus Christ.

The artwork was part of an exhibition at Gateshead's Baltic Centre featuring several plaster figures with erections, including ET, Mickey Mouse and Jesus.

Lawyers for Christian Emily Mapfuwa, 40, of Essex, are bringing a civil case for outraging public decency.

Northumbria Police investigated following Mrs Mapfuwa's complaint, but ruled there was no case to answer.

The statue was part of Baltic's September 2007 to January 2008 exhibition by controversial Japanese artist Terence Koh, "Gone, Yet Still".

Signs warning of the exhibition's content were posted at the entrance to the gallery.

Mrs Mapfuwa, of Brentwood, said Baltic would not have dared depict Mohammed in such a way.

She is being represented by the Christian Legal Centre. A spokesman said: "This statue served no other purpose than to offend Christians and to denigrate Christ."