AROUND 150 eager bidders became the last customers of Barrow Superbowl 10 years ago as the former entertainment venue was picked clean in a major auction of the contents.

Auctioneer Howard Whittaker and helper Alastair Procter kept up a cracking pace as everything from bowling bowls to office equipment was sold off.

Rows of bowling shoes were bought to take to an orphanage in Romania and a set of nine bowling bowls sold for £40.

A report in The Mail on February 12 in 2009, noted: "Business owners from across the area turned out to bag some bargains, while other people came to watch and say farewell to Barrow Superbowl."

Mr Whittaker said: "For me it has been an interesting experience.

"It is definitely the strangest auction I have ever done."

The bowling alley building was being lined up in 2009 by Dunelm Mill as a homeware store.