A controversial statue of Jesus in Poland, which is said to be the world's highest, has been completed after a series of delays. The white landmark shows Christ wearing a golden crown with his arms outstretched, and provides competition for Rio's famous Christ the Redeemer tourist attraction in Brazil.

The new statue is 33 metres tall, one metre for every year that Jesus lived, according to its creator, local priest Reverend Sylwester Zawadzki. He added that with the crown, it measures 36 metres, while a member of the construction team put the total figure at 51 metres if the mound it sits on is also included.

He said he felt he was called by Jesus to build the statue. Mr Zawadzki, 78, told reporters: "This is the culmination of my life's work as a priest. I felt inspired to fulfill Jesus' will, and today I give thanks to him for allowing me to fulfill his will."

But it has divided Poles and underlined the deep cultural divisions between a deeply Catholic population and an increasingly confident secular society - with many mocking the project as tacky.

Some locals think the statue will bring more visitors to the area, which others think is a waste of money.A source close to the project said it had cost around a million euros (£870,000).