MORE than 400 people attended Teesside's premier cat show at the weekend.

Teesside Cat Club has been holding shows for at least 50 years, but next year will team up with the Cumbrian Cat Club and hold an even bigger event in Barnard Castle.

The winner of this year's show was a six-month-old kitten, a Blue Abyssinian, whose official, pedigree name, is Abydreames Specsappeal but is called Trudy at home.

Her owner, Mike Eames, of York, explained that Trudy was bred and looked after about himself and his wife, Lillian. Trudy was exactly six months old on the day of the show. He said: "I’m usually the guy taking the pictures – not winning the show - so it was a little overwhelming to say the least."

Maggie Horner, one of the show organisers, explained the show was held at the Rainbow Leisure Centre in Coulby Newham.

She said: "We wanted people, not necessarily those 'in the know' or showing a cat, to come along and I'd say there was about 200 members of the public there as well as about 200 exhibitors. It got pretty hot inside but most people had left when the rain came down.

"We got about the same number of people last year, but it's up on years previous to that. Next year we're excited about holding a really big event with the Cumbrian Cat Club in Barnard Castle."

Ms Horner explained that entry cost £2.50 for adults and £2 for children and, this year, the event managed to break even though it has lost money in previous years.