A COUPLE who traded from a barrow at the MetroCentre for ten years are celebrating opening their first shop.

Xtras, in the Gateshead complex's Forum area, sells costume jewellery and accessories and is run by Mark and Linda Redfern, of Whitley Bay.

They previously had two of the centre's 33 mall barrows and have been trading at the complex since the early 1990s.

Linda said: "We have held the lease on one of the barrows for ten years now.

"However, we always wanted to occupy a unit and when we saw this we knew it was what we were looking for.

"We sell fine costume jewellery and so we thought the shop would also provide the best way of displaying our products."

John Noble's Bags of Fashion has also made the transition and recently opened on the first floor in the Yellow Mall, selling handbags, holdalls and suitcases.

Owner Andrew Scott and his partner Karen McDowell previously ran a barrow in the Blue Mall for about 18 months.

Ms McDowell, of Hebburn, South Tynside, said: "The new unit we are moving in to gives us the opportunity to provide a wider selection of products and we needed the space that it provides."

Collectables, which has three shops in the MetroCentre, started life on a barrow when the centre first opened.

It has also opened shops in Newcastle, Stockton and Sunderland.