TENANTS at a sheltered housing scheme in Darlington held a Burns night celebration.

The tenants at Dalkeith House marked the annual celebration of the life and work of Scotland's national bard, Robert Burns, which is held on or around January 25.

The Burns lunch was also held to mark the completion of the first stage of a £1.5m refurbishment at Dalkeith House, which has seen a transformation since work began more than a year ago.

Fourteen flats are occupied and tenants can enjoy additional facilities including an extra-large and newly decorated communal lounge, with new furniture and carpets, a tea and coffee bar, a hair and beauty treatment room and the chance to become silver surfers as a new computer and Internet facility is installed.

They will also be able to take advantage of a hot lunch service cooked in the centre's refurbished kitchens.

Personal accommodation has been refurbished, with residents given the opportunity to choose their own kitchen, bathroom, tiling colours and decoration scheme from a range offered.

Work is still under way on the final 27 units and tenants-only communal area.

The work, which also includes garden landscaping and extra car parking spaces, is expected to be completed by April.

Councillor Bill Dixon, Darlington Borough Council's cabinet member for housing, said: "In just over a year Dalkeith House has been transformed to offer Darlington's first sheltered housing scheme with extra-care facilities."