BLAYDON Shopping Centre is under new management after being bought by UK Land Estates.

The centre, near Gateshead, has 40 tenants, including McDonalds, Greggs, Choices Videos and the Co-op, and there are nine units vacant.

The western end of the 95,000sq ft-centre was redeveloped and refurbished and a drive-through restaurant was built for McDonalds.

Extra parking spaces were created, bus stops were improved and security cameras installed.

During the last two months of last year, with the Royal Bank of Scotland, UK Land Estates acquired 400,000sq ft of property in the North-East worth £40m.

UK Land Estates managing director Michael Spriggs said: "We are delighted to have made such high quality acquisitions over recent months which greatly strengthens our portfolio.

"All acquisitions are part of our long term strategy of acquiring and developing property which shows a good return and prospects of growth in the future.

"Blaydon Shopping Centre is an exciting new challenge for UK land Estates and an opportunity to prove ourselves in a new market.

"Blaydon attracts thousands of shoppers each day from neighbouring villages and schoolchildren from two local secondary schools.

"It is a small but bustling town shopping centre but has the potential to become even busier.''