A NEWLY-RESTORED station is being given a final spit and polish before taking part in an annual beauty parade.

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway's Pickering station reopened in April after a £400,000 refit to return it to its 1930s' heyday, in the volunteer-run railway's largest project.

Tomorrow, inspectors will run an eye over the 150-year-old station in the judging for the Ian Allen Awards, an annual award for heritage railways.

The £416,000 project, with three quarters of the cash from the National Lottery, has seen much of the stonework replaced and the shop and tea room raised to platform level to make access easier.

The booking office was moved back to its original position and the restoration work also uncovered original fireplaces now on display, one in the parcels office and the other in the tea room.

Marketing manager Jane Lethbridge said: "We entered Pickering station for the awards because it is a new, improved station and now we're frantically cleaning to make sure it is looking its best."

The railway is now looking at carrying out the second phase of work, including creating a picnic area and restoring the roof.