TELEVISION crews rolled into Ilkley this week to capture the visit of an artist with a difference.

Czech Republic painter Tibor Cervenak has exhibited his work on the continent and has a painting on show in an Ilkley art gallery which could sell for as much as £1,000.

But for several years Tibor, who paints under the name Valerio, has been unable to stay in his own

country and has had to seek asylum elsewhere.

Now living in Bingley and keen to get his name known on the British art market, he is one of the people who will be featured in the next series of Welcome To Britain, a BAFTA

nominated BBC television documentary.

A BBC film crew captured Tibor's trip to Weaverbird Fine Art, in Church Street, for the series last Friday when he came to see his The Last Supper painting being displayed.

A spokesman for the gallery explained: "Tibor came in last year and asked if we would consider his work as part of his efforts to be recognised as an artist in this country.

"We didn't know his work beforehand but we are trying to promote the work of artists living in Yorkshire, and that is exactly what he is.

"We didn't know anything about his background or life at the time, either, but then the BBC got in contact to explain they wanted to capture his return trip to Ilkley to see his painting being displayed.

"It's a significant experience in his life at the moment and they wanted to use it as part of the documentary they are making about several asylum seekers who have settled in Britain and are trying to continue their careers here.

"But we treated Tibor as we would anybody who comes to us and says 'I'm an artist, will you have a look at my work', and we agreed to show his paintings purely on their merit.

"The Last Supper is very different and it is a large painting, which in the current market we would expect to fetch around £1,000."

The BBC plans to screen Welcome To Britain later this year.