PROMINENT Furness garden centre, Crooklands of Dalton, has opened a new children’s play centre after a £250,000 investment.

Company boss Marc Charnley said Planet Play allowed youngsters to ‘blow off steam’ while their parents enjoyed a cuppa.

Imported from Portugal, the play centre was the brainchild of Mr Charnley, who launched the garden centre 15 years ago with his father Llewellyn.

Mr Charnley said: “There's not another play centre in England like it. We'd had a few wet summers and we wanted to make our business weather-proof.

“I'm a dad myself and I know how important it is for parents to be able to take their kids somewhere where they can have fun inside in a nice, clean environment.

Crooklands of Dalton now has a garden centre, a furniture showroom, a function room for special events and a fully functioning restaurant plus a separate café and gift shop.

A new 200 square metre undercover plant centre opened last year.