THEY are a couple of the cheekiest chappies around - just like their namesakes.

Ant and Dec are the newest and smallest arrivals at Paultons Park, joining the rest of the resident meerkat family.

After six years of hoping the family would grow, it is thanks to the magic of vapour rub that these two rascals have been born.

Keepers at Paultons used a method that is tried and tested with guinea pigs to encourage them to breed.

To safely introduce a new male to the female meerkat group, they put vapour rub on the animals' noses and tails and at key points around their enclosure to make everything smell the same. This combated the animals' territorial instincts and led them to breed.

The meerkat pups' mischievous behaviour has earned them the nicknames Ant and Dec, after the television double act from Newcastle who will be presenting the last in their current series of Saturday Night Takeaway this evening.

James Summers, assistant livestock manager at the park in Ower, said: "At long last we have managed to breed baby meerkats at the park.

"It's very rare because meerkats are very territorial and they fight like mad.

"They are great news for the park, and the children absolutely love them. They couldn't have come at a better time as the park is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, so all of a sudden it's birthdays all round."

Despite being named after the cheeky television duo, the keepers don't yet know whether the babies are boys or girls as any human contact while they are so young would upset the mother-baby bond.

Another new attraction at the park to mark its 25th birthday is a brand new ride that sees fun lovers reaching for the sky The Sky Swinger is a traditional roundabout ride that whisks riders six metres above the ground and twirls them round on an aerial journey.

Double seats are also included so small children can ride alongside a grown-up.

A floating globe is also new at the park. The globe - the largest of its type in the UK - is made of solid granite and weighs 6.5 tonnes, but is suspended on a layer of water and can be turned with just the touch of a finger.

There are now more than 50 rides and attractions at Paultons which is now open daily.