HARPENDEN youngsters helped celebrate the official opening of Southdown’s new Co-operative store.

The children, representing The Grove Infant and Nursery School, performed a ribbon-cutting ceremony following an �850,000 refit of the former Somerfield shop. Store manager Angelo Imbriano promised that the local Co-op would, “make a contribution to community life,” as the store donated �200 to the local school’s funds.

Harpenden town mayor Daniel Chichester-Miles welcomed the “wonderful” addition of the Post Office relocated inside the new store on Southdown Road.

The refitted shop is one of many conversions following the Co-operative Group’s �1.56 billion acquisition of the Somerfield supermarket chain last year. Angelo said: “We are proud to serve the local community and this substantial investment in the store means we can now provide a much enhanced service.”

The total number of staff at the new Co-op is 105.