A NEW flower shop opened on Teesside yesterday - in memory of the owner's late mother.

Dianne Hutchinson opened the doors to Flowerbuds, in Ingleby Barwick, as a tribute to her late mother Kath.

Mother and daughter had dreams of opening their own shop together but Kath fell ill before they could do so.

Mary Butterwick, founder of Stockton's Butterwick Hospice, where Kath received care before her death in 2000, officially opened the business yesterday.

Dianne said: "This has always been a dream of ours but when mum fell ill we didn't get round to it.

"She spent three months at the hospice and she was given all the care and support she needed. It was really appreciated.

"When I came out of work recently, I took the opportunity to make our dream a reality. The name of the shop is also sentimental to mum - it's the nickname my dad had for her."

The shop is a family-run business with Dianne having support from her partner, Russ.

She added: "We're a contemporary florist with modern arrangements and have everything for all occasions."