Plans have been announced to create two outdoor ice rinks in the North East in time for Christmas.

The American-style rinks in Times Square in Newcastle and Victoria Gardens in Middlesbrough will stay open until early January.

The company behind the idea wants to set up a network of similar ice rinks across the UK.

Tim Cantle-Jones, the director of Newcastle-based Polar Productions, told BBC News Online: "The inspiration came from looking at films in America.

Great success

"The reality is that skating until 100 years ago was very much part of the winter fare because rivers used to freeze over - so we are recreating that."

The ice rinks were tried out last year and proved to be a great success.

The venue for the Newcastle rink has been moved away from the city's Laing Art Gallery, which is being re-developed.

It will be placed outside the Centre for Life.

Energy sapping

Mr Cantle-Jones, 41, said: " It [ice skating] tends to be fairly energy-sapping if you are not a regular skater.

"There is an element of clutching the barrier for a while until you get braver and get up to a slow jogging pace... it is certainly not more difficult than roller skating.

"Our long-term plan is to provide temporary ice rinks for cities across the UK - open-air ones - just for Christmas."

The Middlesbrough rink, which has proved more popular, will be open from 19 November.

In Newcastle the rink opens on 7 December.

There will also be a rink in Cardiff.