This is gonna bug me now too, can picture the show but not the name. Was it 'Worzel Gummidge'? Puppet's a bit of a stretch since it's a scarecrow, but he had a creepy feel for sure.

Your post has really got me wracking my brain. It could even be 'Tottie: The Story of a Dolls' House'. Darker and more eerie for sure. There weren't witches, but there were definitely weird vibes from those puppets.

Um, I don't know if you might be confusing puppets with animations? 'Grotbags' was quite the witchy character and she had a puppet series after the Rod Hull and Emu show. Was that it?

looool 'weird puppets'...u sure u weren't just havin' a nightmare mate? 😂

Honestly, your description immediately made me think of 'The Herbs'. I know it's not super spooky, but the puppets were kinda quirky and the show is definitely old enough to fit your timeframe.

What you described is ringing a bell. There was 'The Tales of The Tooth Fairies' where the puppets had a kind of eerie feel to them, especially if you're looking back with adult eyes. And there's 'Pipkins', which had Hartley Hare that could give you the creeps.

Might be a long shot but could you be thinkin' of 'Rentaghost'? Them puppets were pretty odd and had a ghostly thing goin' on. Not exactly Sooty level, but old school for sure.

Sounds like you might be talking about 'Wizbit' – that show was classic 80s weirdness. Main character was a wizard's hat I think, definitely had a magical vibe. Not exactly a witch, but pretty close? Wiki it, see if that jogs your memory!