INTREPID explorer and former Monty Python star Michael Palin has welcomed the completion of an £8m extension at Oxford's quirkiest museum.

The celebrity, whose travels around the globe have been televised by the BBC, praised the improvements at the city's Pitt Rivers Museum - which will make it more accessible to visitors.

Mr Pailin, who is a patron of the museum's Friends, will visit the Oxford University-run anthropological museum on Thursday to open the extension.

On the same day, the museum, which is behind the Museum of Natural History in Parks Road, will also announce Phase II of its development plan, supported by a £1m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The museum is famed for its unique collection of items gathered on expeditions around the globe. Exhibits include shrunken heads, totem poles, sailing boats, charms, weapons and musical instruments. It attracts nearly 200,000 visitors a year.

Mr Palin said: "I have always loved the Pitt Rivers' wonderful eclectic displays. In an over-regimented world, they engage and stimulate the curious, and encourage a genuine spirit of discovery."

The extension includes a new conservation laboratory, library, and facilities for visiting researchers. It also features an exhibition gallery and lecture theatre.

The Phase II project will improve the museum's public entrance and restore the original vista of its galleries, including the spectacular Totem Pole.