Wallace and Gromit models and sets used in the latest block-buster movie, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, have been saved from destruction thanks to a travelling exhibition produced by the ecsite-UK Travelling Exhibitions Consortium (eTEC).

A fire on 10 October destroyed most of the previous works of Aardman Animations, the creators of Wallace and Gromit characters.

Hundreds of items from past productions – including characters and sets from Creature Comforts and Chicken Run – went up in smoke when the blaze ripped through the Bristol warehouse where Aardman housed its entire collection.

However, the original models and sets used in the latest movie were saved thanks to their featuring in the travelling exhibition, currently on show at Bristol.

The exhibition, called Animated Adventures, went on show at the Explore-at-Bristol science centre and showcases most of the films props, sets and characters.

A spokesperson for the centre said: “All the exhibits we have on show would have been stored at the destroyed warehouse and would probably have been lost forever.”

Funded by the Millennium Commission, the exhibition opened to the public on 3 October and will run until 28 February.

A spokesperson for Aardman said the fire overshadowed the news that The Curse of the Were-Rabbit had made it to number one in the US box offices.

“The news of the fire at the storage unit is devastating, as it effectively wipes out 30 years of the company’s history,” he said.

“None of the material from the new film was in the storage at the time.”

The Curse of the Were-Rabbit opened at cinemas across the UK on 14 October. Details: www.at-bristol.org.uk