HUNDREDS of people headed to Blackburn Cathedral to take part in a BBC One show.

Flog It, the much-loved BBC One antiques programme, held a free valuation day at the cathedral yesterday.

Fans of the show were invited to bring family treasures for a free valuation and the chance to meet the presenters.

Location manager Alex said people had been queuing since 7.30am for the chance to have their heirlooms examined.

He said: “By midday we had had more than 600 people in, which is great.

“People were starting to queue at half past seven.

“By the time I went out at 9am there were 150 people waiting.”

Everyone who came along to the valuation day received a free appraisal of their items.

Once valued, the owner and a team of experts decided whether an object should be filmed, and if it does gets sent to auctioneers at Milnthorpe, Cumbria, for inclusion in a sale on Monday, February 19.

Janet Waering, who was waiting to see expert Phil Serrell, had come from Clayton-le-Moors to get the expert’s opinion on a garden gnome from the 1930s.

She said: “I’ve been here since about 9am and everyone has been chatting away to each other.

“The gnome was given to my mum in 1931.

“I’ve had it with me since she died but it’s in danger of being broken in my house and my daughters don’t want him.

“I don’t really mind if I get anything for him, as long as he doesn’t come back with me.

“I think it’s time for him to go to a gnome retirement home.”

Phil Serrell said the event had been ‘fantastic’.

He said: “You can learn so much about the back-ground of a place by its antiques.

“I have seen some great items and met some wonderful people.

“The objects are an interesting part of the show, but the people are the real stars.”