A NEW performance area in Darlington's Cornmill Shopping Centre will be opened next month with a talent show.

About 30 people will be selected to take part in the event, on Monday, May 6, and more than 500 application forms have already been sent out.

The concrete was laid in the new area on Monday night, following the demolition of the walled garden area in the ground floor section of the centre.

It is hoped the flooring will be laid next week and the area will host a variety of traders, ranging from football merchandise sellers to crafts businesses.

There will also be a number of kiosks, including one which photographs people and creates pencil drawings or paintings from the image. Another will offer to record visitors' voices on to compact discs.

It is hoped the area will be opened at the end of next week, with the official launch taking place with the talent show, which is being organised with Alpha Radio.

The contest will be split into three age groups: under-15s, 16 to 30 and 30s-plus. A stage will be built for the competition.

The winner of each age group will receive £100 of Cornmill Shopping Centre vouchers. The overall winner will receive an additional prize.

All application forms must be accompanied by a tape recording outlining each entrant's particular talent.

Cornmill deputy manager Susan Young said: "Everybody likes to show off their talents a bit and people like to watch people doing that."

Anyone who would like an application form should contact Alpha Radio on (01325) 255555.

*A statue which was returned to Darlington town centre three years ago after 30 years in storage is to move to a new home.

The 6ft stone replica of the emblem of the Prudential Corporation was carved in 1911 and was originally placed above the doorway of the company's offices at the corner of Northgate and Albion Street.

However, it was put in storage until 1999 when it was installed in the downstairs section of the Cornmill Shopping Centre, which was then owned by the Prudential.

Now the statue is back in the hands of Darlington Borough Council, which owns it, after Cornmill management started work on the refurbishment of the centre's downstairs area.

The borough council is considering the best place to put the statue on display.

A spokesman said: "At the moment, the statue is at the council depot. We are looking for a suitable town centre site and there are several locations which are being considered.