A LOCAL vintage trader set a lockdown challenge to Inverclyde women - to put their bins out dressed in their fanciest outfits.

Gillian McGilp, who owns Parma Vintage, had her upcoming pop-up shops cancelled due to coronavirus. So she decided to launch the lockdown challenge on her social media platforms to cheer people up during these testing times.

The 33-year-old said: "I videoed myself taking my bin in dressed in my favourite vintage dress and it really cheered me up.

"I have a big social media platform so I wanted to use it to give people a laugh.

"There have been so many entries already and I received an overwhelming number of messages from people saying that it's really made them smile."

Women have donned everything from their wedding dresses to outfits fit for Royal Ascot in a bid to win the £50 Parma Vintage voucher Gillian has set as the prize, with some entry videos having amassed over 1,000 views.

Gillian, who lives in Gourock, added: "It's a bit of fun and the voucher can be used at my next pop-up shop.

"I want to put the glamorous ladies of Inverclyde on the map."

Gillian founded Parma Vintage in 2009 and was based on Kempock Street before she took time out to have her two children.

Now they are in nursery and school, Gillian hopes to bring Parma Vintage back bigger and better than before.

She said: "We brought back the pop-up shop to McGilps in Gourock in 2019 for our 10th anniversary and since then the demand has been huge.

"Lots of my stock comes from Italy so coronavirus has had a big impact on what I can do.

"But there are lots of amazing things on the horizon, so I'm hopeful we'll be in full swing again by the end of the year."