The sale of a landmark Cockermouth building has been completed.

Double Mills, the town's former youth hostel, is to be redeveloped by new owners Phil and Rachel Gerrard.

The pair bought it from Cockermouth Town Council.

The riverside building off Fern Bank has been marketed with the Carlisle firm of chartered surveyors, Carigiet Cowen, since 2016.

The grade II listed building – flooded in the storms of 2009 and 2015 – was at one time a mill and still features a water wheel on the outside of the building.

Ben Blain, surveyor with Carigiet Cowen who acted for Cockermouth Town Council, said he understood the new owners will redevelop the building to provide a family home and hostel accommodation for walkers and people visiting the area.

He said: "We are delighted that following a prolonged marketing period and working closely with Cockermouth Town Council the building will be fully brought back in to use.

"Although we aren’t certain of a build date, the property is rumoured to have been built several hundred years ago and the last occupiers, Youth Hostel Association had been in occupation since around World War Two.

"There is a huge amount of potential for a site like this in one of Cumbria’s popular market towns due to the surrounding green space and River Cocker right on the doorstep."

Earlier this year Cockermouth Town Council decided that the sale of Double Mills should include a popular beach area on the River Cocker despite opposition from campaigners who wanted the council to keep control of the green space for public use.

The Gerrards had been happy for the council to keep the beach area but the authority said it didn't want to split up the property.

It is understood that a public right of way across the land will remain in place.