Coronation Street star Gabrielle Drake and dancer Wayne Sleep took centre stage today as they officially opened a charity shop in Shrewsbury.

Ms Drake, who lives in Shropshire and is on the board of the Severn Hospice, joined Mr Sleep to open the charity’s shop in Mardol this morning.

Crowds gathered outside to watch the opening and catch a glimpse of the stars as they performed the ceremony and spoke about the importance of the hospice.

Andrew Ray, retail area manager with Severn Hospice, said: “We’re delighted to have both Gabrielle and Wayne here to open the shop for us. They spoke about the importance of the hospice within Shropshire and asked everybody to support it.

“We’re also pleased to have another shop for such a worthy cause in the town.”

Ms Drake, who returned to the long-running soap to play character Vanessa this year, has also appeared in a number of other TV programmes and films.

She wowed the nation as Swede Inga Olsen in Coronation Street 41 years ago and during the 1980s her powerful portrayal of the glamorous Nicola Freeman made her one of the best-loved characters in Crossroads.

Mr Sleep, who is remembered for dancing with Diana at the Royal Gala Performance in 1985, is performing in Cabaret at Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury until Saturday.