UPMARKET food group Waitrose is to open its first store in the North-East.

The southern supermarket chain has bought the Safeway store in Durham as part of a five-store deal with Morrisons, subject to approval by the Office of Fair Trading.

The city-centre shop is due to open by late October. Previously, Harrogate, in North Yorkshire, was the group's most northerly outlet.

Waitrose marketing director Christian Cull said the company had been wanting a presence in the North-East for some time.

"It is not a secret that we want to be in parts of the country that we are not already in," he said.

"If we find the right location in other parts of the county, then we will certainly be interested. We are thrilled to be coming to the North-East - we have wanted this for a long time."

All 92 staff at the existing Safeway within Durham's Millburngate Shopping Centre will be offered jobs with Waitrose, which is part of the John Lewis partnership.

Waitrose is well-known for selling high-quality food, stocking about 1,000 organic products, 50 types of fish and seafood and more than 100 different cheeses.

City of Durham MP Roberta Blackman-Woods welcomed the announcement, but was concerned that the supermarket would only cater for the high end of the market.

She said: "Waitrose must remember the large number of low-income families and students who rely on the store and must ensure they cater to their needs. For those without a car, the city centre's shops are a lifeline and we must be careful to not price people out of the city."

Waitrose has also acquired stores in Wilmslow, in Cheshire, East Grinstead and Lewes, in Sussex, and St Katherine's Dock, in London, building on the purchase of 19 shops from Morrisons last year, and taking the total of Waitrose branches to 167.

Morrisons has been selling stores since it paid £3bn for Safeway last year. It started with 600 and is expected to have 360 by December.