OSCAR-winning singer songwriter Sam Smith provided Keswick with a post-lockdown treat, as they enjoyed a curry and a pint in the town.

The multi-award winning artist, who has 15 million followers on Instagram, was happy to pose for photos with staff and customers in the Oddfellows Arms Pub on Market Square before heading to the Lakeland Spice restaurant.

Abdul Monsur was shocked to see Sam and their two female friends walk into their family-owned business.

He explained: "I was trying to play it cool at first, they probably thought I didn't recognised them.

"Sam was lovely and a very nice person. They praised the meal a lot.

"We had to lock the doors of the restaurant because people were running in off the street.

"But Sam was really nice and very well mannered and was chatting to me outside."

Lakeland Spice has been a family owned business for 20-years and Mr Monsur was extremely pleased that people are now starting to come back and holiday in the Lakes and wants to encourage people to come back to the Keswick.

Sam, who is said to be worth £33 million after six UK number ones including Writing’s On The Wall for the James Bond film Spectre, was joined by two female friends as they tucked into their meal and enjoyed a pint.

Marc McAdam was extremely excited to meet the A-list celebrity when he and his friend Marie got a tip-off that Sam was in the Oddfellows’ beer garden.

Mr McAdam said: “We were just sitting in my garden having a gin and tonic when I got a tip-off that Sam Smith was in the Oddfellows.

“We ran round and sat in the beer garden, 2m apart obviously, and eventually I plucked up the courage to talk to them.

“I was so excited because I am a big fan of Sam’s.”

McMcAdam owns lots of Sam’s albums as well as an autobiography.

After chatting to them for sometime, Sam confided this was their first time to Keswick and they were really enjoying it.

“They told me they had been to the Indian and it was one of the best they had ever had,” added Mr McAdam.

“They also told me that they were going away for a couple of days and then were going to come back via Keswick for another Indian.

“Sam was one of the nicest people I have ever met. It was really nice of them to spend time chatting to me.

“I was so excited to speak to them.”

Mr McAdam does some time part-time acting and was blown away to have met the Oscar winning star.

During their trip, the famous singer also called in at the Catstycam outdoor shop in Glenridding, where they posed for a photo with manager Georgia Roper and her son Jamie.

Georgia said: “It was a shock to see them.

“When they walked in, I said hello - then realised who Sam was.

“They were lovely and really chatty. They bought some clothes too. We do have celebrities come in, as a lot of them like walking.”