Eager shoppers flocked to Halstead’s new budget superstore as it opened its doors for the first time.

A queue formed this morning as 8am approached for the long-awaited opening of Lidl.

The superstore, on Kings Road, received huge public support from the town, and has been eagerly anticipated since plans were approved almost a year ago.

Pupils from Richard de Clare Primary School were some of the first to look around the shop after winning a healthy eating poster design competition.

Town celebrity, Gladys Hale, more commonly known as Bubbles, was on hand to cut the ribbon to open the shop.

With Bubbles turning 100 next month, her daughter Lou said it was nice to see the old and the new in the town celebrated.

Halstead Gazette:

Mum and daughter duo, Sandra Tansley and Sharon Lowe, were two of the first to pile high their shopping trolleys.

Sharon said: “I think it is really good. Hopefully it will bring more people to the town and it definitely adds more variety for us.

“The size is brilliant, it looks lovely and I am really happy with it.

“Before I have been to Braintree to go to Lidl, so it is nice not to have to travel and great my mum can walk down.”

The new store has created 40 new jobs, and boasts an in-store bakery, longer-style tills with dual packing, customer toilets, baby changing and ample parking for both cars and bicycles.

The store has also been praised for paying homage to the town’s history with two murals on the side of the building.

Pete Caulfield was in the queue with his trolley at 7.45am.

He said: “I have needed to do a bit of a shop for a few days, so I decided to let it build up and come and try Lidl out.

“Now I’m retired, this is a little bit early for me, but I need my milk so I can have my cereal.

“It looks like a great shop and should be good for the town.”

Despite a largely positive reaction from residents across Halstead, concerns have been raised over traffic in the area, and the shops close proximity to the Elizabeth Courtauld Surgery