THERE was a special surprise waiting for youngsters dragged along to a DIY store on Saturday.

Wickes was celebrating the launch of its newly refurbished store in Churchill Way West, with a weekend of festivities starting on Friday.

Among the celebrations was a visit on Saturday for shoppers to meet and have their photo taken with one of the UK’s most iconic four-legged friends – the Dulux dog.

New features within the Basingstoke store include a kitchen and bathroom design centre, a new in-store Dulux colour mixing service has been introduced, and a new bigger range of tiles, flooring, garden and outdoor products.

To mark the revamp, shoppers also got 15 per cent off purchases

Lee Grainger, store manager at Wickes Basingstoke, said: “We’ve designed the store to make it easier to shop for your home improvement projects – the layout will help guide you to everything that you need in one visit.

"You’ll find inspirational room sets across kitchen and bathroom; worktops, appliances, baths and taps on display and our expert design consultants will be on hand to help you plan your dream space.”