CAPTAIN Pugwash and his piratical shipmates are to be relaunched on the seas of children's television, it was announced yesterday.

The Britt Allcroft company, which makes Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends, has bought the rights to the popular seaman and his shipmates from John Cary Films.

Britt Allcrott now plans to spend £1.5 million on a new series of 26 quarter hour episodes, to be produced by John Cary Films.