A brand-new B&Q store opened in Consett, near Newcastle upon Tyne, on Friday.
Store manager Paul Dougan, MP Pat Glass and local competition winner John Parker were there to cut the ribbon. Outside, local residents queued to be the first people in, with a golden ticket competition rewarding the first 500 customers through the door with the chance of winning one of five vouchers worth £100 to spend in store.

50 new jobs have been created at the store, which is to stock over 20,000 home and garden improvement products. The Christmas department is already up and running, with trees, lights and decorations all on offer. Additionally, the store boasts a TradePoint counter with goods from hundreds of brands at trade prices and improved technology will also help colleagues deliver an effective service.

Paul Dougan, B&Q Consett store manager said: "The team has been working hard behind the scenes to create a fantastic new store so we're all delighted that opening day is finally here. We can't wait to meet all our new customers from the surrounding community."

John Parker was at the opening to collect his £250 B&Q gift card after successfully answering a question on the new Consett store. He said: "I'm delighted to be crowned the winner of the competition. I regularly do a bit of painting and decorating around the home so I'm looking forward to using the gift card to purchase some painting materials."

This is the last of the 30 ex-Focus DIY stores that B&Q parent company Kingfisher bought. The old building was knocked down and a completely new, purpose-built store was created.

At the beginning of the month, B&Q also opened a new store in Bedford.