TEAMS of British and Chinese students are preparing for a bridge-building challenge - with eight crossings of the River Tyne providing inspiration for the test.

Residents have been invited to the Baltic Square, Gateshead, on Wednesday to watch a new international television series being filmed.

Challenge UK is an adventure series filmed in the UK, but made for a Chinese audience.

It will feature two mixed teams of British and Chinese students, who will face challenges that will test their physical, creative and intellectual abilities.

The Gateshead challenge will be bridge-building, and the eight Tyne bridges will provide inspiration for the teams, who will have one day to design their bridge at Northumbria University, and then just one day to build it on Baltic Square.

The bridges, built from scaffolding, timber, ropes and chains, will have a span of four metres, and must be strong enough to take the weight of an adult.

John Johnson, director of design and construction services at Gateshead Council and Jim Eyre from Wilkinson Eyre, who both played an important part in the construction of the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, will help judge the winning design.

The challenge will start at 10am on Wednesday, at Gateshead's Baltic Square. The winning bridge will be judged at 3.30pm.