BURNHAM-ON-SEA shoppers have been busy trying out the town's new B&M Bargains store on Pier Street which officially opened this week.

As part of B&M’s Local Hero initiative, representatives from RNLI, and their mascot Stormy Stan, took centre stage to officially unveil the new B&M store with the Mayor of Burnham On Sea, Cllr Michael Clarke on Thursday.

In addition to opening the new store, the representatives also received £250 worth of B&M vouchers as a thank you for taking part.

A spokesman for B&M said: "Since opening its doors the store has set off to a flying start with customers piling in to quench their thirst for bargains."

On Saturday the shore held a balloon giveaway and had a face-painter in store to carry the atmosphere into the weekend.

The face-painter transformed customers into their favourite super heroes, animals or characters.

The former Morrisons has undergone a comprehensive internal and external refurbishment programme and created more than 60 new jobs for local people.

The store manager, Dennis Chick, said: “We’re feeling really positive about the creation of new jobs for local people and feedback on the new store has been great so far.”

Mayor Michael Clarke said: "I'm pleased to see the store open and relieved that something is being done with this vacant site, with over 60 jobs being created."

The Morrisons store closed last November with many residents upset to lose the town's biggest supermarket.

B&M is one of the fastest growing retailers in the UK, with more than 500 stores across the UK selling a wide variety of products.