THREE sisters from an Upper Eden village has been commissioned to produce a new series of children's programmes.

Bryony, Cadi and Linnhe Catlow, of 3 Bear Animations, are based in Hartley, near Kirkby Stephen.

The girls write, design, animate and direct all their own work in their studio at Hartley Fold.

Their latest production, The Nitty & Gritty Club, shows the antics of Nitty and her brother Gritty, two mischievous rabbits who live in a burrow outside a television studio.

Bryony Catlow told the Gazette: "Three sets, a wide variety of props and around 28 models were used in this latest production."

However, this success does not come easily.

"It took us over three weeks to get 90 seconds of animation in the can, which is fast work in this business," she said.

As reported earlier, 3 Bears Animation have teamed up with toy manufacturer Humbrol Ltd to produce the first ever Plasticine animation starter kit, which is now on sale at Hamley's toy store in London and in John Lewis department stores nationwide.