A LITTLE boy who captured the hearts of supermarket workers with his brave struggle against illness starred in the opening ceremony for their new store this week.

Seven-year-old Lyndon Longhorne, of Crook, has been a favourite at Bishop Auckland's Asda store since he lost his legs and parts of his arms to the disease when he was a baby. So he was an obvious choice to help staff celebrate their new £15m development, which is creating 230 jobs on the site of a former foundry.

Lyndon was helped by ten-year-old Tom Elliott, from St Andrew's Primary School, who designed a badge for staff to wear on opening day.

World War Two veteran George Nicholson later led a two minutes' silence for Armistice Day.

Lyndon's mother Tammy Wheeldon said: "Asda invited Lyndon to meet Santa Claus on his first Christmas after he was ill and he loves going in the store. We never thought he would be opening the new one but he was very excited and told all his friends at school."