A copy of the Bayeux Tapestry will be sent to London to measure the risks facing the 900-year-old work when the original is dispatched to the British Museum next year.

The copy of the work that depicts the 1066 Norman invasion will be sent in a specially made wooden crate equipped with vibration detectors and thermometers, officials have said.

The temperature and vibration levels will be measured and made public next year before the transfer of the original tapestry to London, probably in June or July, culture ministry officials say.

The tapestry is prepared for transfer from the Bayeux Museum in France, where it has been housed since 1983

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