RENOWNED York stained glass artist Sep Waugh - who created windows for the past seven Archbishops of York - has died, aged 79.

Mr Waugh, of Upper Poppleton, who leaves a widow Margaret and a daughter Sue, had been suffering from cancer.

Mrs Waugh said Sep was born in Bishopthorpe and attended the former Archbishop Holgate Grammar School, where he excelled in art, and on leaving school in the early 1950s he became an apprentice for famous stained glass window expert, Harry Stammers.

He went on to work for another artist, Harry Harvey, before branching out into business on his own, having studios first in Micklegate and then in Trinity Lane, off Micklegate.

She said he created stained glass windows depicting coats of arms for the past seven Archbishops of York, including the current Archbishop. Dr John Sentamu, and Dr Sentamu came to visit him while he was ill and sent him a card in which he described Sep as 'my great hero.'

His work took him as far away as Surrey and Scotland, and he also travelled to India on two or three occasions to teach Indians in Delhi and Mumbai some of his skills.

He attracted national newspaper headlines when he created a window to mark the Millennium in Hatfield, near Doncaster, which marked key events and achievements in the town over the previous 1,000 years.

One of the town's best known figures was Thomas Crapper, who perfected the flushing toilet, and Sep included a tiny picture of a lavatory in his window to mark this.

The Press reported in 2000 how he had also created a new window for St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, Tadcaster, to see in the new Millennium, with a design based on aVatican logo.

He also created an image of the Yorkshire Dales town of Hawes to mark the Millennium, with the design centring on the Good Shepherd, displayed as a Dalesman and including visions of the area, including a cattle market and a viaduct.

Mrs Waugh said her husband was a folk singer in a York group called Thyme, and was a keen tennis player with a renowned left handed serve.

His funeral, which took place last week at All Saint's Church in Poppleton, was packed and raised more than £800 for cancer charities.