A HOME built smoothie bike will be one of the main attractions at a banana party in the Golden Square Shopping Centre on Saturday.

The celebration of the popular snack, outside Debenhams, will be part of the Warrington effort for FairTrade fortnight, which this year is supporting banana farmers trapped in poverty by unfair supermarket practices.

Duncan Brocklehurst, a retired motor mechanic from Appleton Thorn, spent three months building the smoothie bike from a donated mountain bike and an old lawn mower engine.

Fixing friends’ lawnmowers and chainsaws was a longtime hobby, but the smoothie bike was the biggest and most fun challenge he has taken on..

He said: "The whole business is trial and error. I'm not a drawing board man. I just try things out, when I have been lying in bed and thought that might work."

It will be the eighth year the Warrington Fair Trade steering committee has run a Golden Square event, member Trish Powell said and she was hoping this year would be the best.

Games and recipes will be part of the fun along with the smoothie bike.

She added: "We have high hopes for this year. This is a real opportunity for people to have a lot of fun and make their voices heard to help a really good cause."

The event will have some high profile guests with, Warrington Wolves mascot Wolfie and Warrington Mayor Peter Carey taking part.

Cllr Carey said "Being a FairTrade Borough is important for Warrington and is part of our culture as a town that cares and we are delighted to support this event.”