VIP visitor in town

Iconic fashion designer Jeff Banks surprised staff at Gretna Gateway Outlet Village when he popped in to his name-sake store.
The world-famous Welshman, who was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2009, made a flying visit to the Jeff Banks store last Tuesday while attending his daughter’s wedding in Gretna Green.
The 68 year-old, who co-founded the Warehouse fashion chain in the late 1970s, opened the border menswear store last October.
Gretna Gateway’s general manager Peter Gardner said he was delighted to welcome the fashion icon, especially as an advertising board bearing Jeff’s picture was only erected a week earlier.
He added: “Jeff’s visit was completely unannounced and out of the blue.
“He knew there was a store here but he had never seen it so decided to pop in.
“He was excellent and spoke to the staff and even joined in trying to sell a suit to a customer.”
Mr Bank’s who is famed for creating and presenting The Clothes Show on BBC One throughout the Nineties, also called into Bewley’s butchers shop in Bootle, Cumbria, during his trip.
Here he struck a deal with shop owner Willy Bewley, swapping one of his designer shirts for a ring of Cumberland Sausage.