A Keighley man is seeking an audience with the Pope to hand over a special Easter gift.

Nick Lajszczuk hopes to meet the pontiff at the Vatican next month to present him with some decorated eggs.

The gesture re-enacts a trip to Rome made by his late mother Kateryna about 12 years ago, when she handed over intricately-decorated eggs which were then distributed to leading clergymen throughout Europe.

Nick has maintained the traditional Ukrainian skill he learned as a youngster from his parents, who settled in this country after the war.

And he has passed on the art to his own children Stefan, 17, and Natalka, 12.

Nick, who with his 78-year-old father Iwan has crafted the latest batch of eggs, says: "I remember when I was a young boy my mum used to paint eggs, and it was something I learned to do myself from an early age.

"She would go around the country teaching and giving demonstrations to keep the tradition alive. She died 18 months ago, but she helped ensure the art would not disappear.

"My father is from the Hutzu region of the Ukraine, where this tradition was particularly strong."

Techniques involve using wax, dyes and special pens to carry out the tremendously detailed work. The finished egg is then varnished.

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