A DISABLED boy who has become one of the region's celebrities is set to relaunch a store in a market town next week.

Teddy Berriman, of Burnt Houses, in Teesdale is known for loving life and taking everyday obstacles in his stride despite suffering from several health issues including cerebral palsy, autism and epilepsy.

The six-year-old is known for his happy outlook and has even modelled for high street retailer River Island as well as turning the Christmas lights on in Durham last year.

Now Specsavers has asked Teddy to do the honours by cutting the ribbon of their new store in Bishop Auckland on Saturday, April 27.

Teddy and his family have been customers of the branch for years, and he is more than happy to take the spotlight for this celebration.

The new store is set to create four new jobs in the local community and introduce new technology to the area.

Showing its commitment to the town, the opticians has invested a six-figure sum in the works.

At the relaunch there will be a whole host of fun activities including dancing grannies, circus performers and a DJ to get everyone in the party spirit, from 10am to 1pm.

Customers will now benefit from an additional four test rooms as well as one new audiology room. Four new members of staff have been recruited in preparation for the higher capacity of customers.

The store also now has an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) machine, which is usually found in hospital eye departments. The OCT machine can detect eye conditions including glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

Tim Mitchison, store director, said: "We’re committed to providing the people of Bishop Auckland and surrounding areas with the best optical and hearing services available and expanding the store’s offering was the perfect way to cater for even more people and offer a great customer experience.

"The Bishop Auckland store has been increasingly busy over the last year, so we believe the investment will benefit all of our customers by reducing waiting times for appointments.

"It’s a very exciting time for us, and we cannot wait to relaunch the store at the end of the month. I’d encourage anyone to come along on the relaunch day and enjoy some light-hearted entertainment and, most importantly, book in for an eye test to make sure your eyes are healthy."