A MUSEUM in the region is to create a children's attraction as part a multi-million pound refurbishment scheme.

The Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, is launching a massive drive to attract more youngsters through its doors, and staff are also hoping a successful push for £5m will give the museum the chance to carry out essential refurbishment work on the building.

The museum is already working on a National Lottery bid of £250,000 in match funding, on top of the £250,000 it already receives from Durham County Council.

The Bowes' bid will be submitted next June, with results released in December, and staff are hoping to have any new galleries completed and open to the public by 2004.

If the Heritage Lottery Fund bid is successful, the museum hopes to create a toy gallery with hundreds of items already stored at the chateau-style building.

The gallery will feature dolls, games, card games, marbles, dolls houses, and outdoor toys, such as spinning tops.

An education team, made up of staff and local teachers, has also been set up to gauge what will attract and interest young visitors. Another highlight will be an attraction centred around the silver mechanical swan, which has become synonymous with the museum.

The two new galleries were decided on following a visitor survey carried out this summer.

Dr Anne Allen, audience development manager at the museum, said: "We really are pushing for more attractions for children, and the children's gallery and other initiatives should, hopefully, prove a real pulling point.

"As far as the Lottery bid goes, it really is in its early stages, but it is the first step on our way to reaching the £5m target needed to carry out refurbishment work and create all the new galleries we are planning.