A FORMER children's television star has settled in an East Lancashire village to start her own company.

Lizi Botham, 34, who was brought up in Summerseat, worked as a researcher and then presenter for children's art shows SMart, and SMarteenies before leaving the BBC last year.

Now Lizi, who was known by her young fans as Bizi Lizi on the television shows, has settled in Sabden, near Clitheroe, to start up Craftastic, a company which organises children's parties, and visits schools to teach arts and crafts.

And if the firm is a success Lizi, a trained potter, is also planning to start teaching pottery classes for adults.

She said: "I left the BBC in March last year and have been in business about eight months now.

"As well as parties I go into schools and do art activities, so it's a bit of a bonus that they know me from the television.

"Clitheroe is somewhere I used to visit when I was young and my parents really loved it.

"When I left London I thought I had the opportunity to choose where I lived.

"I wanted to be near my mum and dad and in an area I really liked.

"It's a big change from London but it's the best thing I have ever done.

"I'm really pleased with the way the business is going, I'm getting very good feedback from what I have done in schools and the parties, and I am quite busy."

Lizi, who has lived in Sabden since last July, is hoping to have her own business unit up and running in the next year, so she can hold craft workshops.

At college she trained to be a primary school art teacher, but rather than go into teaching she started working for Radio Leeds.

From there she moved on to SMart, a follow up to the Tony Hart art shows, working as a researcher, before becoming a presenter herself, and later a television producer. She left the BBC job last March.

She said: "I made all the things the presenters said they made, then I came up with the idea of taking SMart on the road. Basically I wanted to do a DIY show for kids.

"It was driving a little van around the country, decorating children's bed-rooms and all kinds of things.

"The last job I did for the BBC was producing a show called Doodle-Doo.

"Once I had done that, I decided I had done everything I wanted with the BBC, and had had enough of London!"

For more information visit www.craftastic.co.uk