PEOPLE living close to the newly refurbished J.38 service station off the M6 motorway at Tebay are set to benefit from a range of new services.

The £500,000 upgrade of the facilities means that a village shop will be available and a pay point is shortly to be opened to allow local people the convenience of paying household bills.

J.38 is also an official bus terminal, meaning that local residents can catch a daily bus service into Lancashire as far as Blackpool and up into the North East as far as Newcastle.

In the village shop, bread, milk and tea will sit alongside a range of local products, including Hawkshead relishes, fresh pies and sausages, frozen foods plus an extensive selection of reasonably priced wines and beers.

The 24-hour forecourt shop will also provides "a lifeline" to the local community as it has now been expanded from a kiosk-style booth to a fully-fledged shop, selling drinks and hot and cold snacks In addition, local residents can avail themselves of the car vacuum, air pump, water point and jet wash.

BBC Radio 2 broadcaster Sally Boazman, who has become nationally known as Sally Traffic, is to open the new look services on Monday (May 14).

"I was absolutely delighted to be asked to open the new and improved J.38 Services," said Ms Boazman. "Good truck stops are so important to the well being of long distance drivers.

"It is also excellent to have a facility here that offers so much for the local population from a well stocked village shop, home made food to eat in or take away, a 24-hour forecourt and shop plus a free cash point."

Over the years, J.38, which opened in 1986, has provided work for many local Tebay, Orton and Gaisgill residents and now employs 22 local people across the different areas of the business.

The thousands of truckers who use the services every year will appreciate a resurfaced car park, security barriers and extensive lighting.

CCTV cameras are soon to be installed and this will ensure that the services will be eligible for the nationally recognised Park Mark Safer Parking' award within the next few months.

There will also be a new smoke-free café area, seating 84, from which a variety of take-away meals will be available.

New easy-to-follow, colour-coded directional signage has been installed around the site and customer feedback has led to the creation of allocated changeover bays plus a dedicated parking area for refrigerated lorries to minimise noise pollution for all customers.