A BETTING shop in Swindon was officially relaunched by its oldest and most loyal punter on Saturday following a £100,000 refurbishment.

The new-look Ladbrokes in West Swindon District Centre was opened by Henry Barkus, 94, a retired Royal Navy commander, who has visited the branch regularly since it opened in 1984.

Stuart Campbell, a deputy manager, said: “We thought it would be good for one of our oldest and longest running customers to re-open the shop. We thought it would be a nice personal touch.

“The opening was a huge success – people have been coming in talking about what a fantastic time they had.”

Ladbrokes decided to press ahead with plans to overhaul the branch after Coral, another bookmaker, took over the premises next door.

The major refurbishment started just over two weeks ago, with workmen going in overnight to minimise disruption.

Work included the installation of new flooring, counters and furniture, as well as a customer service point, which allows gamblers to check early odds.

Ladbrokes also fitted two large plasma-screen televisions and 16 small plasma-screen televisions.

Mr Campbell said: “Customers love everything about it, particularly the bigger screens. Everyone says they are a lot clearer.”

On relaunch day, customers enjoyed breakfast and lunch, with food including bacon rolls and sandwiches.

Inside the shop, there were 100 free bets available, ranging from £1 to £50, attached to helium-filled balloons.

Mr Barkus, who cut a ribbon at the entrance to relaunch the branch, was given a free charity £100 bet, which he placed on the Swindon v Millwall match.

Ladbrokes will continue to run offers at the branch for at least the next two weeks, including free bets and extra bonuses on winnings.