A DIY superstore in Bury has become one of the first in the country to open its newly refurbished showroom.

The B&Q site in Bridge Hall Lane has benefited from a £100,000 investment as part of a plan to modernise the chain's showroom areas.

Only one other store in the region, in Stockport, has been given the same investment so far, with Bury joining just a handful of other locations in the UK in the first stage of the nationwide rollout.

The Mayor of Bury, Cllr Mike Connolly, officially opened the new feature in a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Jo Kinney, TradePoint manager at the Bury store, said: "In the region, only ourselves and Stockport have received this investment so far, and I think there have been about eight others around the country.

"They are rolling it out across the country so we are quite fortunate to be one of the first.

"It makes us more competitive and gives the customer a better experience when they come to shop with us.

"The new showroom also allows our staff to be more visible and more hands on."

After cutting the orange ribbon, the Mayor and his Consort, Ian Hargreaves, enjoyed a tour of the showroom and joined employees in tucking into some specially designed B&Q cupcakes.

The opening of the new showroom has come at the perfect time for staff at the store, who are about to enter their busiest period of the year.

She added: "We go into our peak season in September and October, so this has come at the perfect time for us. Everyone wants to get their kitchens and bathrooms sorted before Christmas and then once December comes we go crazy with trees and decorations, so we have a busy few months ahead of us."