PREMIER League footballer dropped in to the region to star in a national television advertisement.

Tottenham Hotspur and England star Peter Crouch arrived by helicopter yesterday to appear in a commercial for Mars being filmed at Carperby, near Leyburn, North Yorkshire.

About 80 extras from the community took part in the final day of filming at the village’s new sports pavilion.

The footballer helped villagers put the finishing touches to the facility.

He also took part in a kickabout with Carperby and local rivals Askrigg, at one point volleying in from 30 yards and also scoring with his head from a corner.

But there was no need for his manager, Harry Redknapp, to worry about the striker picking up a knock – players were asked not to tackle the star.

Villagers also enjoyed a free bar courtesy of the sweetmaker at The Wheatsheaf pub in the village.

Carperby beat three other villages to win a grant of £125,000 from Mars to build the pavilion.

Tradesmen and villagers worked around the clock in freezing conditions to get the pavilion finished in time for filming.

The project had been due to take six months, but builders completed it in three.

A tent was erected over the site to stop the temperature from falling too low, so allowing the area to be lit and enabling work to continue into the evening.

Water had to be brought from a farm nearly a mile away.

As well as money from Mars, the village received £9,000 from the Big Lottery Fund, £50,000 from the Elm House Trust and £10,000 from Richmondshire District Council.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority also provided a grant to cover 75 per cent of the costs of installing an air source heat pump and photo-voltaic cells.

A further £3,400 came from the Upper Dales Partnership.

The advertisement is due to be screened early next month.