WORK costing £70,000 will begin this month to repair the leaking roof of one of Glasgow's most prestigious art galleries.

The roof of the Burrell Collection, in Pollok Country Park, has been affected by leaks for more than a decade and, on occasions, staff have been forced to put down buckets to catch the drips.

In 1999, the city council promised the roof would be replaced within five years at an estimated cost of £2 million, but the work was never carried out.

Now work will soon begin on repairs that will be carried out over 12 weeks – weather permitting.

The gallery will remain open, but some objects may be moved.

A spokesman for Glasgow Life, which runs the gallery, said: "Next year, the Burrell will celebrate its 30th birthday and this work will help to preserve an architectural beauty and some of the treasures it is home to."

Glasgow-born shipping magnate Sir William Burrell gifted his art collection of more than 8000 items to the city in 1944. They include works by Rodin, Degas and Cezanne, as well as important examples of Medieval, Chinese and Islamic art.

The structure was named Scotland's second greatest post-war building in a poll of architects in 2005.