A MECHANICAL horse that once galloped on the spot for a North-East gentleman is to be restored to its former glory.

The contraption, which was the Edwardian equivalent of today's exercise bicycle, was bought at an auction by the Beamish Museum, near Stanley, County Durham.

Museum assistant keeper of social history Kate Reeder said experts would repair the machine to full working order, complete with its leather saddle.

Ms Reeder said: "This machine was patented in 1914. Earlier models of the mechanical horse were used on all the luxury liners of the day.

"There were two on the Titanic, as well as on its sister ship the Olympic, and on the Mauretania and several other ships.

"This particular machine is said to have belonged to a gentleman in Alnwick, Northumberland, who had a riding accident.

"He couldn't ride a horse any more as a result of his injuries, but missed the pastime so much that he ordered this machine.

"He would ride it every morning in his front room and watch the world go by."

The contraption was made by Abacot Gymnastic Works, of the London firm Spencer, Heath and George.

It was advertised in a Harrod's catalogue as an "electrically driven horseriding machine" and sold in 1916 for £62 - nearly £5,000 in today's money.

The advertisement promised the machine "imitates to life the characteristic movement of the horse with every gradation of motion from a quiet pace to the quickest gallop."

Ms Reeder said: "It will be wonderful to see it working again."