Carlisle Squash Club is preparing to play host to a professional tournament.

Starting at 5.30pm this evening, the competition will take place across this weekend with the final expected to take place at around 3pm on Sunday.

It will be sponsored by Appleton’s of Carlisle with £1,500 available in prize-money to the winners.

Coach Dave Box said: "It’s quite an exciting event.

"We will have around half-a-dozen local players who will be taking part.

"Fitness-wise, they will not be with the pace.

"But it will be a great experience for them."

A number of talented young national squash players are set to be involved at the event.

"Nick Wall is Under-19 national champion and he will be playing," he said.

"His dad, Nick Wall senior, will be playing in the tournament, as well.

"The number one seed is Rory Stewart who is British Under-23 champion.

"Paul Bell, who is a home-grown talent but now coaches Scotland, has half a dozen of his young prodigies coming down for the tournament."

Box hopes the event will raise the profile of Carlisle Squash Club.

He said: "We are not struggling for members but we want to develop squash as a sport in the area.

"We hope we can build the sport over a five-year period because squash is an under-sold sport, really."