Fans meet their heroes

Shropshire went into orbit when thousands of comic, cartoon and science fiction fans had a chance to meet their heroes.

Telford International Centre hosted the Midlands Movie Comic Media Expo, which returned to the venue for its fourth successful year.

One of the top attractions was British actor Kenny Baker, 74, who won international fame as the man inside robot R2-D2 in Star Wars.

At just 3ft 8ins, Baker was a circus and cabaret performer when director George Lucas hired him for the blockbuster Hollywood movie in 1977.

He has appeared in all six of the Star Wars films and his credits also include The Elephant Man, Time Bandits, Amadeus and Jim Henson's Labyrinth.

Children's favourite Sarah-Jane Honeywell was also at the convention and kept busy signing autographs for young fans, and their dads.

She is best known for her work as a BBC TV comedy actress and presenter on Higgledy House and Tikkabilla, shows which have won her a worldwide following. Sarah-Jane has also played a sexy kitten in the West End show Cats.

Also beaming down to Telford were stormtroopers from Star Wars, cybermen and the Tardis from Doctor Who and Doc Brown's time-travelling Delorean car from Back to the Future.

Promoters Paul Miley and Bryan Cooney said: "Our events exude an air of fun and community, with many people returning time after time."

The MCM Expo Group organises shows all over the country. For details, visit www.mcmexpo.net

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