Hundreds of children are being left disappointed over a Bob the Builder show.

The trusty handyman has found himself at the centre of a legal dispute over trademarks.

The promoters behind Bear in the Big Blue House Show, billed as a "tribute production" with the country's favourite builder, Barney the purple dinosaur and characters from Bear's Big Blue House, have been forced to cancel an entertainment show planned for Sunday, at Darlington's Dolphin Centre.

About 700 £6 tickets had already been sold when the wheels came off Bob's digger and tribute show organisers P Mitchell and Jester Entertainment International were forced to cancel.

The "live pantomime tour" had been due to start its tour in Scotland.

But the real Bob the Builder these days will perform his hits to nothing short of stadium audiences, and is starting the first leg of his world tour.

HIT Entertainment, which owns the rights to both Bob and Barney, put a stop to the tribute tour as soon as it was made aware of the situation.

A HIT spokeswoman said: "We are obliged to stop these shows taking place.

"We do our own productions and we have a very high standard to meet.

"Our legal department are trying to track down the people involved but are finding it difficult."

Yesterday, The Northern Echo was unable to contact P Mitchell and Jester Entertainment.

A spokesperson for venue operator Darlington Borough Council said: "There is no problem for anyone who wants to hire out the Dolphin Centre.

"In a case such as this, however, the onus is on the company to ensure they are not breaking the law."

Tickets should be taken back to the Dolphin Centre for a full refund, or contact (01325) 388406 for more information.