HUNDREDS of residents showed their support for a new convenience store unveiled in their town by a supermarket giant this week.

Crowds of shoppers descended on the Tesco Express store when it opened in Ulverston on Wednesday to fill the gaping hole left in Market Street after the closure of Woolworths in December.

Fourteen new jobs have been created, and the move has been welcomed by local traders, who believe it will help the town’s “vitaility.”

Store manager John Fearn said: "We are delighted to be able to create new jobs for Ulverston, especially in the current climate. I have recruited a great team of staff and I am looking forward to working with them.

“Since we opened, customers have said they like the fact they don’t have to travel to Tesco in Barrow anymore. They have said it’s a nice, clean and tidy store and say it’s better than having an empty shop.”

To mark the opening, Tesco donated £500 to St Mary’s Hospice, while contractors Barr Construction will be working hard on a new garden at Ulverston Church of England Infant School this weekend.

Ralph Spours, of the Ulverston Traders’ Association, said: “We very much welcome the arrival of Tesco. It will help maintain the vitality and viability of Ulverston as a market town.”