THE long-awaited Lidl store is due to open in Colchester next month, creating 40 new jobs.

Lidl has confirmed its Abbot’s Road store will open its doors for the first time on September 6.

The new supermarket will create 40 new job opportunities for Colchester residents.

The store features facilities such as an in-store bakery, longer-style tills with dual packing, customer toilets, baby changing and parking for both cars and bicycles.

The Co-op in Abbot’s Road, Colchester, closed for business in September 2016 and bosses from Lidl won permission from Colchester Council to knock down the old store and replace it with a new supermarket.

Bosses were forced to secure the site after a spate of vandalism caused by people breaking into the building, causing damage and dragging items onto nearby fields.

Lidl UK’s regional head of property, Colin Rimmer, said: “We would like to thank all those who have played a part in bringing this new Lidl store to Colchester.

“It is great for us to be able to create more jobs and investment opportunities in the area, and we can’t wait to start serving our multi-award winning products to the local community.”

Lidl has said it hopes the new store would be similar to its Gosbecks Road store in Colchester, which opened in September 2016 after several years of planning.

Customers are invited to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8am and will be offered the chance to sample some of Lidl’s products throughout the day, along with exclusive deals and offers for the first week of opening.

It is all part of their £1.45billion expansion investment between 2017 and 2018.

A public exhibition was held recently for plans for another Lidl in the former Homebase store in St Andrew’s Avenue.

Feedback has been received, but it is not known if plans are still going ahead.

The town’s one remaining Homebase looks set to avoid the axe after administrators announced 42 nationwide store closures.

In April, staff at the superstore announced the premises had been sold to Lidl.