An art teacher from Hugglecote has said she aims to paint all 310 churches within the Leicestershire diocese to raise awareness of their beauty. 

Hayley Fern began depicting the churches across the area in watercolour during the school holidays last year.

She has now painted 56 of the buildings.

She recently expressed that a few people have suggested to her that it might become a book, which she thinks would be "absolutely amazing."

She told the BBC: "I started off just drawing my local church, and then I drew the cathedral.

"It was part of embracing the local area, raising awareness of the beautiful churches, and it just became a lovely way of talking to people and meeting people."

Fern said she posts the pictures on social media and has had received a lot of interest in her painting from all over the world, as well as locally. 

Whilst painting the historic buildings, Fern from Rawlins Academy expressed it is a peaceful process. 

She told the BBC: "Even in a busy town or village it can be the most peaceful part. 

"Once you've settled into it, it's a good two hours of drawing and painting, so it could almost be described as meditative.

"I really do get in the zone, forget everything and just focus on the church; it's lovely."

Fern has expressed it is likely that the project will take a few years to finish and she is now considering collaborating with somebody who knows about the churches' history to produce a book.