WEST Malvern TV personality Dick Strawbridge is challenging would-be inventors to make wacky machines for a BBC 2 competition.

The moustached presenter of BBC2's Crafty Tricks of War wants people to invent the ultimate penalty-taking machine, triple jumping machine, amphibious craft or hole-digging machine for his new TV series Geronimo.

Schools, clubs or families that invent machines will be invited to test them out - amphibious craft and hole- digging machines at Blackpool on October 22, 23 and 24 and penalty taking and jumping machines at Weston-super-Mare on October 29, 30 and 31. Presenting the action is Fearne Cotton, of Top of the Pops fame, while Mr Stawbridge helps competitors fix their machines in a double-decker bus workshop.

"Malvern has such a large number of engineers and clever people I'm sure there are any number with the brain power to do it," he said.

Mr Strawbridge is making prototypes for all the machines to demonstrate on the programme. He described his amphibious machine, made from two jet skis and a Robin Reliant, as "Del Boy meets beech bum".

Mr Strawbridge said he would visit an entering Malvern school or club in his double-decker bus to give them a hand.

Anyone interested should visit www.bbc. co.uk/geronimo to download an entry form.

Geronimo will be shown on BBC2 at teatime from January.