A SUPERMARKET'S £9m expansion programme will create 70 extra jobs in the Chippenham area.

Sainsbury's will close for eight days on March 19 while fitters rip out existing shelves and counters and carry out a complete re-fit.

The expansion will increase the floor space from 32,000 ft to 52,000 ft and the store will start selling a new range of goods.

To help fill the new vacancies, the supermarket had a big recruitment drive this week and staff will be picked from the local area.

Town councillor Wilma Anscombe was pleased to see a business doing well but said out of town shopping stores were not always convenient for elderly people.

"A nucleus of elderly people do not have the transport and need more shopping facilities in the town," she added.

But Carl Tottle, who is a duty manager at Sainsbury's, said the expansion would make it easier for shoppers because they would be able to find most things under one roof.

"Once we are open again people will have a one-destination shop where they can come in for all their weekly shopping," he said.

The new look store will have a full range of food counters, hot food and salad bar, as well as a range of electrical goods and cookware.

Mr Tottle said: "The store will be completely emptied and the shop floor ripped out and replaced. "We will be having a range of clothes from fashion designer Geoff Banks.

"We need the expansion to increase the standard of the service we offer."

The supermarket in Cepen Park has also taken the opportunity to upgrade the petrol station.

"The present store is outdated so we thought it was time we did something about it," said Mr Tottle.

The expansion plans have been in the pipeline for a couple of years and managers hope customers will be pleased with the new look.

Mr Tottle said: "It is a big job because three sides of the store have been expanded.

"Hopefully it will all be finished on March 27 for a 9am opening."