This is the first look inside Cockermouth’s newest hotel and restaurant.

The Premier Inn, on Egremont Road, is due to open on Thursday, along with the Brewers Fayre restaurant on the same site.

The businesses employ about 60 staff between them and have been built on the site of the former Shepherds Hotel, previously the Sheep and Wool Centre.

Karl Hetherington, operations manager at the hotel, said all staff had been trained locally, with some visiting the company’s other West Cumbrian branch, The Howgate at Whitehaven, to learn the ropes.

All employees have been working on site since Wednesday, he said, to take delivery of bedding and stock and to prepare the venues for their first companies.

Bosses are already showing that their hearts are in the community. Staff carried out a litter pick last week and raised £1,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital by bag- packing in Sainsbury’s on Saturday.

The hotel has also sought donated prizes from local firms and will run a raffle during its first two weeks of business, with proceeds split between the hospital and Cumbria Flood Recovery Appeal.

Mr Hetherington said: “We are excited to get into the area. It’s good to be in the building. It feels like it’s been a long time coming.”

While some signage is up at the hotel, the company is still awaiting planning permission for further proposed signs. Plans for a single hoarding and a stone-faced forecourt sign are due to be discussed by Allerdale council’s development panel on Tuesday.

The plans were submitted after earlier applications for three signs were rejected because of their siting and illumination.

If approved – in line with planning officers’ recommendations – the signs would be installed at a later date.

Planning permission for the 80-bedroom hotel and 200-seater restaurant was granted in April and work to demolish the Shepherds Hotel started soon afterwards.