SOME of the canvasses painted by pioneering children's television presenter Muriel Young, from County Durham, are on sale on the Internet.

Lotsurf.com, Middlesbrough online auctioneers, are offering pictures, painted by Mrs Young - ITV's Aunty Mu - from the late 1970s onwards.

Her career in children's television began in 1959 and continued into the 1980s with programmes such as Lucky Dip, Tuesday Rendezvous, Five O'Clock Club, Ollie and Fred's Five O'Clock Club and Five O'Clock Funfair.

She moved to Granada as head of the channel's new children's department and devised Clapperboard, a popular cinema programme for younger viewers, and a number of pop music series, including Lift Off and Get It Together.

In 1986, she moved back to her native County Durham and into an apartment in Stanhope Castle with her husband, Cyril Coke, and took up painting, exhibiting locally and in London.

A spokesman for Lotsurf said: "Many of Muriel's works are subjects either in Portugal or in villages in northern England and invariably about places rather than people. She had a wonderful eye and a unique manner of expressing her vision.''

She probably painted no more than 50 or 60 canvasses during her life.

The spokesperson said: "Since her death in 2001, we believe that this is the first occasion upon which her paintings have been offered for sale through a website auction or any other mass media offering and truly is a unique opportunity to own the work of a unique and talented artist with a fascinating history.''

For details go to www.lotsurf.com