FURRY friends are invading a Teesdale tourist attraction this month.

Meet the Middletons, in Middleton-in-Teesdale, has organised an exhibition on the history of the teddy bear, which traces the origins of the bears from the beginning of the 20th Century to the present day.

The collection includes bears old, new and famous.

The centrepiece is Wilfred, a human-size bear, made by local fibre artist Dorothy Annan, of Bestitched Studios.

Ms Annan has also provided a teddy bear quilt.

Denise Holder, from Meet the Middletons, said: "Many people think that teddy bears have been around forever. We would like them to discover why these bears became so popular in the first place and how the style of the bears has changed over the years."

On Wednesday, July 27, at 1pm there is a teddy bears' picnic, to which children can bring along their favourite bear. Pre-booking is necessary for the picnic.

The exhibition runs until July 29. For details, call (01833) 640333.