A painting of the Titanic could raise £10,000 for charity at auction, the artist who created it said today.

Dozens of old cheques issued by the Belfast shipyard where the famous vessel was built have been used to create the image by Rita Duffy, who hopes to raise money for the poor in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Titanic, which was dubbed unsinkable before it hit an iceberg and foundered in the north Atlantic in April 1912, is at the centre of plans to rejuvenate a large part of the city's docklands.

Duffy said: "The old cheques made me think of all of the local people who built the Titanic and the shapes of the cheques themselves reminded me of the sheets of plate metal the Titanic was made from.

"For me this is both a global and a local piece. Global because of the worldwide impact of Titanic and local because of all the people in Belfast who made it."

Her work, Squall, features the Titanic sailing towards stormy weather. It sank on its maiden voyage with the loss of 1,523 people.

Duffy painted the image on cheques printed by the Harland and Wolff company, which built the Titanic, in 1977.

They were payments made to recipients of the business's pension scheme and were found by Duffy at the Harland and Wolff Drawings Offices in Queen's Island.

Squall forms part of the War On Want Northern Ireland Art Aid exhibition and auction from April 27-29 in Belfast.

Duffy added: "Artists are often regarded as poor and starving but they are some of the most wealthy as they have an insight into what it is to be alive.

"You can't help thinking about people who have nothing and desperately need help to survive.

"Hopefully we will inspire some people who love their local area and have the money to support this."

The exhibition is raising funds to support work in Malawi, Uganda and Tanzania. Half the sale price of the artworks will support the charity's work with vulnerable communities.

Works have been submitted by artists including Basil Blackshaw, Neil Shawcross, Colin Davidson, TP Flanagan and Brian Ballard.

Exhibition sponsor Jon D'Arcy, from KPMG, said: "War On Want NI works tirelessly to bring positive changes to the lives of some of the world's poorest people.

"The funds raised at the auction will provide much-needed support to enable these communities to lift themselves out of poverty."