TWO international Russian ice skaters who have adopted Rossendale as home will share their talent with hundreds of children when they set up a temporary rink in a pub car park.

The unusual attraction will form part of a week of fun at The Old Cobblers, New Hall Hey Road, Rawtenstall.

Husband and wife team Alexei Kislitsyn and Natalia Pestova have organised the week as part of annual Rossendale Children's Day. They began the day as a thankyou to local people who made them feel welcome in their adopted home.

The couple, who first passed through the valley while on a world tour with the Russian All Stars, have skated their way across England, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, France and Lebanon, but when they returned to the UK in 1995 to perform in Sleeping Beauty and Phantom of the Opera On Ice decided to make Rossendale their permanent home.

The Rossendale Children's Day celebrations will run from Friday, August 23, to Sunday, September 1, from 10am to 10pm every day and will include the outdoor ice rink, fairground attractions food and refreshments at The Old Cobblers, New Hall Hey Road, Rawtenstall.

On Sunday, August 25, there will be free skating for all children plus a full entertainment programme in the afternoon, including an ice gala performances by Alexei and Natalia and other skaters including special acts from Blackpool Ice Arena.

On Thursday, August 29, Alexei and Natalia will take a group of around 80 deserving children for a free day out to Blackpool to include free rides on the Pleasure Beach, tickets to see the pair perform in the Hot Ice Show and a free McDonalds meal.

Alexei, 34, originally from Odessa in the Ukraine and Natalia, who grew up in Ekaterinburg, Russia, now live in Carr Lane, Rawtenstall.

Natalia said: "Rossendale is an absolutely beautiful area. The people are great and the hills remind us of Russia. In fact in the winter when it snows it looks a lot like Russia, but not as cold of course."

The pair have taken part in numerous charity shows and earlier this year met youngsters from their homeland who visited East Lancashire with the Friends of Chernobyl children's charity.

They began skating together professionally with the Russian All Stars in 1993 and married a year later. In recent years they have starred in Cinderella On Ice and Aladdin on Ice at King George's Hall, Blackburn.