CHILDREN’s TV and wildlife presenter Michaela Strachan was the star attraction at the opening of an adventure park’s new theatre.

Ms Strachan visited Brasside, near Durham City, which has built the Showtime Theatre as part of a £250,000 investment in indoor facilities and performed her 30-minute children’s storytelling and poetry show.

Adventure Valley owner Marco Calzini said he was delighted the star of Michaela’s Really Wild Adventures could perform the opening.

The park, which opened four years ago, is set in 60 acres and claims to be the North-East’s biggest family adventure park.

It has more than 40 attractions and shows including the animal encounter barn where visitors can meet the animals, a giant indoor soft play area, tractor rides, adventure golf, birds of prey displays, pony rides and goat races.

The attraction has opened the indoor farmyard along with the theatre as well as a Wild West-themed play area and a new reptile enclosure.

A new environmentally-friendly biomass boiler has been installed to heat the indoor play areas in winter.

Adventure Valley has created six new jobs with the expansion and now employs 12 full time staff and a further 35 seasonal workers.