A NEW £760,000 supermarket has opened in Trimdon.

The development, at Church Road, is a partnership between North Eastern and Cumbrian Co-op and Durham County Council.

Some of the first customers to the store were children from the neighbouring infant school who collected a cheque for £1,000.

The money came from the Co-op's community dividend grant scheme, which supports projects which provide a community benefit.

Trimdon Village Community Infant School is to use the money to develop a school and community wildlife garden.

More than 100 pupils aged up to seven will help to plan the project, which will begin in spring.

The store, which has been built on the site of the former Trimdon library, has a 2,500sq ft sales area.

It replaces the Co-op's small convenience store in the village.

The county council gave permission for the library to be demolished, Sedgefield Borough Council sold part of the land and local company Alexander Developments also gave some land to the project.

A small replacement library is also being built as part of the development.