Bagpuss, the pink and white cloth cat, is not to appear in a series of new shows – despite media reports.

Co-creater Peter Firmin, who lives in Blean, said a deal had been struck with a company to produce merchandising but insisted there were no plans for new television programmes.

Mr Firmin’s daughter Emily appeared in the series, of which only 13 programmes were ever made.

He said: “In a sense, Bagpuss has never gone away. There are children’s channels where you can still watch the show.

“But there are no plans to make any more Bagpuss films. The only thing that has happened is that a company has bought the merchandising rights.”

Mr Firmin’s co-creater was Oliver Postgate and together they ran Smallfilms, the company which made the programme in 1974.

In 1999, Bagpuss came first in a BBC poll selecting the nation’s favourite children’s show.

Earlier this year he was voted the favourite children’s TV animal of all time in an online poll conducted by the BBC.

Bagpuss now lives in the Museum of Canterbury, Stour Street.