Look out, Sooty's on the comeback trail

After 60 years of mischief Sooty could be forgiven for packing away the xylophone and hanging up the magic wand. But old puppets never die and Sooty, Sweep and Soo are being given a brush up ready for a big comeback.

Richard Cadell, the last presenter of the television show before it was axed in 2004, has bought the rights to Sooty for a six-figure sum from the consortium which owns Bob the Builder.

He has lined up a new variety show for the puppets, to be filmed in front of a live audience, and is also planning a Sooty sitcom and radio show.

And there is a Sooty website - not bad for a character created by Harry Corbett after he bought a puppet on Blackpool pier in 1948.

Sooty went on to be the star of the longest running children's TV show in the world. Harry Corbett presented it until the 1970s before handing over to his son Matthew in 1976.

Mr Cadell, a former young magician of the year, took over the Sooty & Co puppets in 1998. The show was relaunched as Sooty Heights and then called Sooty before the curtain fell.

Yesterday Mr Cadell, whose company also has exclusive theatre rights to Basil Brush, said: 'I am a magician as well as a businessman and Sooty was an inspiration to me as a child. I didn't sleep the night before the deal for excitement.'

He added: 'I think you could equate Sooty to Paddington Bear or Rupert - there is a nostalgia value and that is a huge plus.'

Matthew Corbett, who sold the rights to Sooty in 1997 for more than £1million, said: 'Richard Cadell is as close to a Corbett as you can get and we are confident he will give Sooty the love and attention he deserves.

'He will ensure that Sooty will bring joy to the hearts and minds of a new generation of children, while creating nostalgia among those who remember Sooty so fondly.'