New multi-million pound Tesco opens in Hednesford
[gallery] The long wait for people wanting to get into the new multi-million pound Tesco store in a Staffordshire town finally ended at 8am today.
Scores of customers turned up to take advantage of special offers for early-bird visitors at the Hednesford store.
Later, VIPs from Cannock Chase Council, Hednesford Town Council and the mascot and assistant manager of Hednesford Town FC performed a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The supermarket in Victoria Street, has created 220 new jobs, with 94 going to long-term unemployed people from the local area.
Customers were taken by a travelator to the shopping floor above a 600-space car park, which is part covered, part out in the open.
It is the first retailer to open up at the new Victoria Shopping Centre, part of an 18-month project costing £56 million to transform the town centre.
In Market Street, work is also well under way on an Aldi store alongside the already-open Hednesford Bingo as part of the overall Chase Gateway project by St Modwen.
Following Tesco's launch, more retailers are due to move into smaller units at the Victoria Street site, including Costa Coffee, Phones 4 U and a new community centre, after Christmas.
Parking problems partly caused by contractors' vehicles is expected to be eased by the opening.
