WINNERS of a national TV body beautiful competition came to the region yesterday.

The male strippers are to appear at Hartlepool Borough Hall next month and three of the performers visited the town yesterday to check the place out.

All eight winners of the cable TV contest gave up their jobs to embark on the Storm UK national tour.

Former fire-eater Michael O'Donnell, 23, of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, was joined by former fitness instructors Warren Hudson, 24 from Leeds, and Wayne Nicholas, 24, from London.

Warren said: "This is a fantastic experience. We want to transform stripping's sleezy image into a classy artform."

Tickets for the show, at the Borough Hall, Middlegate, on Friday, November 14, cost £18.50 and are available on (01429) 890000.