JO HAYWOOD examines the work of a North Yorkshire jewellery designer.

Vin Bootle is a master weaver whose speciality is not wedding dresses, but wedding rings.

He weaves gold and silver into Roman and Celtic style wedding bands, handcrafting every piece at his workshop in a small village near Boroughbridge.

"Each one is made from raw wire or sheet metal so no two pieces of jewellery can be the same," he explained. "Every item is as individual as the person who wears it."

His own favourite design is an ancient Celtic weave of eight strands which produces a square-shaped rope that then has to be rolled flat, filed, shaped and polished.

"I've named this design Brigante Eight," he said, "after the ancient tribe of Yorkshire and I use it as the basis of many bracelets, pendants, earrings and, of course, rings."

Vin began making jewellery as a hobby while working for the BBC. After taking early retirement at 50 he decided to make it his career with the help of a £2,000 enterprise allowance grant.

It was while on a training course in Harrogate that he noticed another student weaving a fabric headband.