HUNDREDS of people are skating on thin ice - and enjoying every minute of it.

People have been giving anything but a cold shoulder to Middlesbrough's big Christmas attraction - a temporary, outdoor ice rink that is making a return visit to the town centre.

Record numbers of people have flocked to the arena, more than 1,500 of them getting their skates on over the first weekend the rink was open, last month.

Tim Cantle, of Polar Productions, builder of many rinks around the country, said the one in Middlesbrough had been particularly successful.

"This is a record number for a first weekend. We are thrilled that it has been so popular. Middlesbrough people obviously love ice skating," he said.

Judith Croft, Middlesbrough Borough Council's leisure team manager, said: "These numbers show that the rink is well received by local people. We are confident the numbers will keep growing."