FROM Wacky Races to Spongebob Squarepants, cartoons have played an important part in Howard Litton's life.

The former Penketh High School pupil is now one of the most powerful men in the world of children's television as the head of Nickelodeon in the UK.

But his job is a long way from a childhood spent watching Hannah-Barbera cartoons at his Great Sankey home.

His parents, Howard and Dorothy, ran Litton's Newsagents on Liverpool Road for 30 years.

And, although he now lives in London, the 42-year-old takes every opportunity to come back to visit them along with his brother, Mark, sister, Heidi and nieces and nephew Maisie, Poppy and Oscar.

Howard said: "I miss my family. Where you are born always has a special place. I love living in London but it is just so far away. My mum would like me to be a bit nearer to home."

A keen Manchester United fan, Howard is also a big supporter of the Wolves. In fact, his uncle, Bobby Wanbon, won a Challenge Cup winners medal with the team when they beat Featherstone Rovers in 1974.

Howard studied law at Aberystwyth University so children's TV was not a natural line of work for him to go into.

"I just kind of fell into it by accident, I never really wanted to be a lawyer I always felt I was more creative than I was legal," added Howard.

He was 12 months from qualifying as a solicitor when he took a job in the contracts department at HTV in Wales.

After working for the creators of Thomas the Tank Engine, he got his creative break working on a TV show in Canada.

When he moved back to the UK he saw a job at Nickelodeon and went for it.

The station has been his home for more than 12 years and he has risen through the ranks to become senior vice president.

Howard continued: "It is cool, I get to watch TV all day and have a giant Spongebob in my office. I enjoy every minute of what I have been doing. It is a fabulous place to work.

"The biggest achievement was last year when we won the Bafta for best children's TV channel."

He has already done a lot in a relatively short career but Howard is striving to make UK children's TV the best in the world.

"I would love to see if we could come up with the new Spongebob Squarepants but out of the UK," he concluded.

vicki.stockman@guardiangrp.co.uk