Whodunnit?

Chris Thurstans, who runs Pond Cottage Antiques, at Stillington, near York, with his wife, Dianne, has made an almost exact replica of the doctor's famous police box, which he uses to hurtle through space and time in the hit TV show.

The Tardis (Time And Relative Dimensions In Space) which is complete with flashing blue light, was made out of fibre-wood and Chris now wants to build more to sell to sci-fi fans.

The 59-year-old furniture restorer is displaying the time machine in his garage which he has converted into a museum crammed with motor memorabilia.

Chris, a father-of-two, hopes to tap into the army of Doctor Who buffs across the country. The long-running show has gone through a big resurgence after Christopher Ecclestone took on the role, with Billie Piper as his trusted sidekick.

"The Tardis is absolutely fab," said Dianne, but she confessed that she and her husband were not viewers of the programme.

"It took Chris about three weeks to create and he is now keen to make them to order if anyone wants one. Our customers love it and their kids love to go inside it.

"I think it could make a wonderful children's toy cupboard or fancy dress wardrobe. None of us really watches Doctor Who ourselves." Sci-fi fans will have to fork out £450 for a Tardis - and the sad news is that they're no bigger inside than out.

Dianne said Chris's makeshift museum was called The Men's Room. It houses a range of motor-related artefacts including old petrol pumps, hundreds of Dinky toys, vintage car badges and even a replica Bugatti sports car.

"When ladies come into the shop we send the men into the garage so they don't put them off buying something!

"Chris has always liked collecting and the first word he said was 'car'. It's good to keep him occupied."

Dianne said their son Philip, 27, had now caught the collecting bug and recently got his hands on a classic 1943 Willy's Jeep.

Updated: 09:59 Friday, May 13, 2005