WHEN the BBC TV team arrived they locked the bedroom door and kept the key. When they opened it four days later owners Tracey and Nick Packer could not believe their eyes.

'It was stunning — there was fitted wardrobes and drawers, a candelabra on one side and sunken ceiling lights on the other,' said Tracey, 35.

She runs the Walkhampton Inn with husband Nick, and wrote to the 'Real Rooms' programme when the couple took over the pub two years ago.

'We had a limited budget and most of our money went on bed and breakfast facilities to boost the income. We lived in the flat above in the eaves which needed major refurbishment,' said Tracey.

They heard nothing from the BBC until three weeks ago. Since the original letter Tracey and Nick, 45, had done up their living room and bathroom. But the bedroom was still the same.

That was until the nine-strong team of painters, decorators and carpenters moved in and — locked the door behind them.

Tracey said the 26ft by 12ft room was cold with plaster board walls and no skirtings. There was the slope of the roof on either side and exposed beams. Furniture was a couple of old wardrobes that came with the property. All they had done was put down a fitted carpet.

'I asked them to leave that because I know they love tearing carpets up and painting the floorboards. I wasn't nervous about the result. I knew what ever they did — as long as it wasn't painted fluorescent pink — it would be an improvement on what it was,' said Tracey.

'The crew were lovely and very down-to-earth. Before we went into the room the director said he didn't care if we loved it or not. In fact he said if we hated it it makes brilliant television!

'He said the worst thing was to say nothing. But I couldn't think of anything to say because it was so beautiful — I was stunned into silence by the transformation!'

The team created the new look bedroom with a budget of £400 for material.

The programme will be shown when a new series of BBC 1's mid-morning programme 'Real Rooms' begins in April.