The boy with a tardis in his garden

But that dream comes true every day for six-year-old super-fan Nathan Taylor, from Bishop Auckland.

Nathan’s stepfather, Stephen Hudspeth, has created a replica of the time machine used in the cult BBC sci-fi series.

It was a labour of love by warehouse worker Mr Hudspeth, starting off as a single wooden pallet back in October, which was transformed into a stunning duplicate of the Type 40 TT Tardis, measuring 7ft by 4ft.

Mr Hudspeth worked on the tardis during the evenings and at weekends, painstakingly replicating the smallest of details to ensure the finished article was as realistic as possible.

Nathan’s mother, Rachel Maughan, who lives with Mr Hudspeth, said: “Nathan is a big fan of Doctor Who, and Stephen wanted to do something for him that he would always remember.

“It was too big to fit in the garage, so we kept it hidden under a tarpaulin behind the shed and told Nathan it was a greenhouse.”

During the development of Doctor Who in 1963, production staff decided the Doctor’s time machine would resemble a Fifties-style London police box to keep the design within budget.

The word Tardis, which stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space, has since become synonymous for describing places that feel bigger inside than on the outside.

Stepping through the inwardly opening doors into Nathan’s Tardis, visitors are greeted with a dashboard, levers, and battery-operated lights.

Despite being slightly nervous of entering the Tardis at first, Nathan soon grew to love his toy.

Ms Maughan said: “He was so stunned. I think he thought he was really going to go back in time.

“We could not get him out of it for the next week.”

With Nathan’s passion for the sci fi programme, and his membership of theatre group Stagecoach, he could well end up following in the footsteps of former Doctors David Tennant and Tom Baker.

Or even exterminate latest recruit Matt Smith to become the youngest ever actor to fill one of TV’s most prestigious roles.