KENDAL College engineering department is inviting the community to get creative as it opens up its facilities in a new 'makerspace'.

The equipment will be free to use on Monday evenings from February 29 until the end of June.

Alex Bergus, an engineering tutor at the college, came up with the idea and will be leading the project.

"It's not going to be a teaching thing," he said. "It's an option for people who want to make things to come and have a go.

"We have these big windows where everybody can see in, so we might as well have a system where people can come in."

The makerspace will give people the opportunity to use industry-standard equipment to pursue their own ideas, including 3D modelling software and printers, CNC mills and lathes, robotics state-of-the-art computer software.

People having the freedom to do whatever they want is central to the idea of the makerspace.

Mr Bergus, who was technical director of Primasonics in Penrith before he started lecturing two years ago, said: "People can do art projects, make a bit for their motorbike or build the prototype for an idea they want to take on Dragon's Den. I'm not bothered.

"As long as it's not weapons or drugs paraphernalia, it's fine.

"If you have an idea, come and make it and then go off and do something fantastic with that idea."

The makerspace will be open for over 16s, with the potential for the minimum age to be reduced in the future.

It will run on a drop-in system to begin with, with no need to sign up.