OLYMPIC gymnast Kristian Thomas will officially open Dudley's new Aldi store.

The Black Country born bronze medallist will be at the Priory Road supermarket, which was built on the site of the former King Arthur pub, from 8am tomorrow (Thursday).

The discount supermarket chain, which sponsors Team GB, has also recruited children from Priory Primary School to take part in a ribbon cutting ceremony and will reward them with an array of raffle and tombola prizes for their upcoming Christmas fair.

Staff will also celebrate the opening by handing out golden envelopes to the first 100 people in the queue, giving customers the chance to win a range of prizes including a 40” Full HD Smart TV, DAB digital radio and bags of shopping.

Queuing customers will also be treated to hot sausage and bacon sandwiches from Aldi’s Specially Selected range, as well as cups of tea and coffee.

It has taken seven months to build the new store, which has 88 car parking spaces and has created 34 jobs.

Store manager, Justin Leich, said: “We’d like to thank everyone for their patience during the development. The team and I are looking forward to meeting our new customers, and I’m sure the arrival of Olympian, Kristian Thomas will create a great buzz on opening morning.

“We’ve got some great golden ticket prizes and in-store deals up for grabs, so we’re expecting a good turnout.”

The store will be open between 8am and 10pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sundays.