THE expertise, toil and artistry which went into creating one of Droitwich's hidden treasures has come under the spotlight.

Maurice Josey began work at The Church of the Sacred Heart and Catherine of Alexandria in Worcester Road, Droitwich, in 1922.

Amazingly, he spent the next 13 years completing the beautiful mosaics, which still decorate the building to this day. Now, nearly 68 years after his death, Maurice's great-grandson Alan Wyatt has put the missing pieces of the story together.

Mr Wyatt has revealed the history and family pride behind one of the town's most historic attractions.

Despite their age, significance and beauty, the Sacred Heart mosaics have, over time, become less and less well-known in Droitwich, and many townsfolk have never even laid eyes on the famous works of art.

The story of their creation starts when Maurice Josey studied fine art to follow in the footsteps of his father and well-known reproductive engraver, Richard Josey.

Then, after starting his career as a mezzotint engraver, Maurice became a mosaic artist working in London and near to Plymouth before being commissioned to bring Gabriel Pippet's mosaic designs to life in Droitwich.

Droitwich's Sacred Heart Church is in good company as Maurice also worked at St Paul's Cathedral, in London, where he did the face work on some of the mosaics.

The story of Maurice and his famous works has been kept in the family for years and passed down from generation to generation.

"All of our family are proud of the wonderful mosaics at Droitwich. Not only because Maurice achieved something so awe-inspiring and beautiful, but also the fact that they may remain for a thousand years or more," said Mr Wyatt. After studying mosaics in Ravenna, Italy, Maurice moved his family to Droitwich so he could work at the church.

During the 13 years, Maurice was helped by a boy, Fred Oates, who grew to manhood during the work. He also worked with his youngest son, John. Maurice died in London in 1938 only a few years after the mosaics were finished. His younger brother Tom, who also studied fine art, later created the mosaics in the chapel.

The Droitwich mosaics are well-known to Maurice's descendants. John Josey has more than 40 descendants with great-grandson Gary Wyatt the most recent visitor to the church last year. He said: "We were very proud to stand in the church and see the wonderful work done by my great-grandfather. I wanted my children to be fully aware of the mosaics and all the time and hard work taken. I hope they bring their children to Droitwich."

After the visit, Gary's daughters said they would like to get married at the church.

It seems a lot of time and effort was put into the mosaics in Droitwich's Sacred Heart Church. History and art lovers in the town don't have to travel far to appreciate the complex work of a bygone age.