ENTERTAINMENT, competitions and a chance to sit in a helicopter, drew hundreds of extra visitors to Kendal's new look Marks and Spencer's store.

The Library Road store has invested £300,000 to create a more spacious and lighter shopping area, with a special `Classics Shop' range, a new bakery and improved Customer Ordering Facilities.

The new look was launched with a series of events and entertainments over last week including competitions when hundreds of pounds worth of gift vouchers were given away.

Star attraction on Saturday was a visit by members of the North West Air Ambulance crew, who arrived with their chopper (minus rotary blades for safety reasons), on the back of a low-loader.

Crew members talked about their work and invited shoppers to sit in the Air Ambulance, which is the store' s nominated charity this year.

The `Be a Bread-winner' competition in which shoppers were invited to track down a laminated French stick in the store, proved very popular and winners of a special World Cup competition for children were given a World Cup outfit and football.

Entertainment over the week of events included an evening concert on Friday by the Amabile Girls' Choir, and a 1940's duet to compliment the Forties' events taking place at the Brewery Arts Centre.