ACTRESS Eileen Pollock received a warm welcome from shoppers in Bury yesterday when she opened the town's new PDSA branch.

Best known for her performance as Lilo Lil in the 80s hit TV show 'Bread', Eileen left behind her fishnet stockings and stilettos in favour of a more 'respectable' outfit.

"I'm kitted out entirely in PDSA gear," said Eileen with a huge grin. "And it's all top quality stuff - only my undies are my own!"

Cutting the ribbon of the new store on The Rock, she admitted that she is a great fan of charity shops.

"I love looking for bargains," she said. "When I got here this morning I was spoilt for choice. I think all the stuff I arrived in was from a charity shop. And buying from the PDSA is a great way to raise money for people who can't afford treatment for their pets."

Manager of the PDSA's 115th shop, Mrs Majorie Kennedy added: "Celebrating 80 years of free treatment for sick and injured pets is a marvellous achievement and I hope it continues for many years to come."

Eileen is currently starring in the play "Women on the Verge of HRT" at Manchester's Opera House, a moving comedy about two middle-aged women who take on the problems of the menopause during a trip to Donegal.

But she admits she still holds a soft spot for the Liverpudlian tart-with-a-heart, Lilo Lil.

Said Eileen: "It was great fun playing Lilo Lil, she was a bit of an animal herself."

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