THE tills were ringing out at Rossendale's latest tourist attraction this weekend following a successful first week in business.

And the success of Lancashire Homes and Gardens is to be highlighted this weekend when BBC2's Home Front gardening expert Diarmuid Gavin marks the official launch on Saturday.

The seven-acre £4.5m complex, off the A56 at Haslingden, is set to be one of the leading attractions of its kind in the UK.

And that was evident this Easter weekend when customers were seen queuing to catch a glimpse of what was on offer at the state-of-the-art centre.

The 120,000sq ft development, on the former Syke Mill site at Road End, has brought hundreds of new jobs since it opened last weekend.

A new roundabout to replace the traffic lights at the crossroads created by the A56 sliproad, Blackburn Road and Haslingden Road has been completed as part of the plans.

Owned by directors Ged Clark and Mike Foy, the centre will be offering a variety of promotions on the launch day.

Diarmuid will be carrying out a half-hour stage animated demonstration with products which can be purchased from the store.

A spokesman for Lancashire Homes and Gardens said: "We are very lucky to have Diarmuid to officially open the centre. A product demonstration theatre will allow visitors to see features and benefits of what is new in DIY, homes and gardens and Diarmuid will be giving a demonstration which will be full of his character."

As well as garden ranges, the split-level development will stock giftware, including crystal clothing and jewellery from around the world.