Artist carves WORLD'S SMALLEST nativity scene inside the eye of a needle - worth at least £20,000

A micro-artist has created the world’s smallest nativity scene which is mounted in the eye of a needle – and is worth at least £20,000.

Graham Short spent 40 hours painstakingly etching the minuscule scene onto a speck of gold no wider than a human hair using an ultra-fine needle.

The 76-year-old engraver went to extraordinary lengths to ensure his body remained as still as possible for the intricate carving.

He took beta blockers to reduce his heart rate and wore a monitor to time his hand movements between beats.

Graham also had Botox-style injections around his eyes to stop the nerves and muscles twitching while he worked.

The gold speck measures just 100 microns wide – 30 more microns than the average human hair.

The pensioner, from Bournville, Birmingham, embarked on the festive project for his local church.

Visitors to a Nativity festival at St Laurence Church, Northfield, can view the piece using a microscope.