THE UK's only Cuban art merchants, with its own resident Cuban artist, has opened in Kay Street, Rawtenstall.

Havana Arts, a combined gallery and studio, is the result of a venture between Ian and Helen Wilson of Gisburn and Cuban artist Amaury Perez, a former employee of Fort Vale in Nelson who now lives in Hall Carr Road, Rawtenstall.

Ian Wilson, managing director of the engineering company, and wife Helen, who also works at Fort Vale, decided to get involved when they discovered Amaury's talent.

Helen said: "Amaury was working in our sales department dealing with Spanish-speaking clients after coming here with his Preston-born wife, Kim.

"But when people found out he was an artist, he was getting commissions and we began to realise just how talented he was."

Kim, whose parents live in Rawtenstall, was working for a Spanish hotel chain in Cuba when she met Amaury. The pair married in August 2001 and moved to the UK in 2002 because Kim missed her family and Amaury was keen to promote Cuban art in Europe.

He said: "Artists are very restricted in Cuba.

"We aren't allowed to promote ourselves over there - everything has to be done through the Government and because of that most artists' work doesn't get the exposure it deserves. There's only one other Cuban art merchant in Europe -- in Luxembourg."