THE history of the world's most popular cuddly toy was laid bear yesterday.

Durham's cheekily-named Teddy Bear emporium, Bear Bottoms, unveiled its exhibition into the history of the toy.

Spanning 100 years and featuring bears from every decade of the last century, it caters for serious collectors and sentimental grown-ups alike.

Shop assistant Gillian Wilkinson explained their origin.

"Many people know that Teddy bears stemmed from Theodore, or Teddy Roosevelt, the American president at the turn of the last century.

"The story goes that while on a bear hunting trip in Mississippi they failed to see any, so one of the party captured a small bear cub and tied it to a tree. He then invited the president to shoot it, but he refused.

"That confirmed his association with toy bears, or Teddy bears as they became known."

Bear Bottoms, on Elvet Bridge, features bears costing from £2.99 to rare German Steiff bears worth hundreds of pounds.