HUNDREDS of youngsters packed a touring puppet show which was making its first appearance at Preston Hall Museum, near Stockton.

The Puppet Lab, from Scotland, was inundated with ticket requests and put on a second show of Funnybones because all of the seats were sold.

Artistic director Simon Macintire said the show was proving popular and would be returning to Teesside after receiving such a warm welcome.

"The first show sold out and there were still people ringing up and wanting tickets, so we put on another performance straight after the first," he said. "It is our first time in the area and with such a high demand and a great audience, we will look at coming back. If people want us, we will do it again."

Funnybones, put on by Mr Macintire and colleague Kim Bergsagel, tells the story of three skeletons who are looking for people to scare.

But everyone is asleep so they decide to scare themselves.

The show uses ultra-violent lights in a blacked-out room to show the effect of the white skeleton figures.

About 200 youngsters and their parents enjoyed the performances in the museum's ballroom on Thursday afternoon.