A Workington gym hopes to buck the trend of businesses struggling through the coronavirus pandemic by expanding in a new home post-lockdown.

While many companies are predicted to continue struggling even after the threat of coronavirus subsides, Lee Butterworth, owner of Xtreme Fitness, has applied to Allerdale Council for permission to move his gym from Dobies Business Park at Lillyhall to the former Border Cars showroom nearby.

The plans would see the gym double its workforce from 11 employees to 22 and Lee hopes it would also attract new members looking to get back into a healthy routine.

Mr Butterworth said: “We have been full for the past four or five years so it was a bit of a no-brainer for me.

“With everything going on and seeing shops closing that have been there since I was a child, it made me quite sad, so for a business to be coming out of lockdown growing and creating jobs will hopefully give people a lift.”

Lee said more than 600 people had kept their memberships running during the pandemic which had helped his business to stay in good shape and now he hopes, subject to planning permission, to open soon and start welcoming them back.

“The fact those guys have stuck with us has given me the confidence to make this move and grow the business to give them something back which is a good position to be in,” he added.

Preparations are under way to make sure that the new venue would be safe to open once the Government guidelines permit gyms to operate again.