A sculpture of Jesus owned by prominent Jewish art collector Anita Zabludowicz was at the centre of a legal battle this week.

Representatives of the Baltic Gallery in Gateshead were in court charged with outraging public decency after the allegedly blasphemous Terence Koh piece was shown in its exhibition Gone. The work features Jesus in a state of sexual arousal.

A Christian who was offended by the sculpture launched a private prosecution against the gallery for outraging public decency and causing harassment, alarm and distress.

At Gateshead Magistrates' Court, a solicitor for the charitable body which runs the Baltic Gallery entered a plea of not guilty. The Zabludowicz Collection had no comment to make. The case was adjourned until September 23.