A refurbished shopping centre is to be declared a no smoking zone.

Shoppers will no longer be able to smoke in the Newgate Centre, in Bishop Auckland, from Monday.

Centre manager Dave Wilson said that he made the decision to try to keep the centre tidy following its £2m refurbishment.

He said: "Most of the bigger shopping centres have already introduced no smoking and now we have had this refurbishment and a change of ownership we felt the time was right for a fresh start."

The no smoking campaign will be launched on Monday when shoppers will be asked either to put out their cigarettes or wait outside until they have finished.

Mr Wilson said: "I get people coming in all the time saying that they smell the smoke as soon as they walk into the centre and there are always cigarette ends on the floor.

"I think the people it will most affect will be husbands waiting outside shops for their wives.

"Most people will find this good news, even those who do smoke."