Supermarket giant Asda Walmart has been ordered to take down two banners which have been put up at the site of the company's new store being built at Haydon Wick.

At last night's planning meeting, members voted against a retrospective application lodged by the store to continue to display the temporary banners.

If necessary, enforcement action can be taken to secure the removal of the signs.

In their report to the committee, planning officers said that the signs were in breach of established planning policy.

The new hypermarket, the town's largest store and among the four largest in the country, is set to open on Monday in time for the Christmas rush.

It will have 97,500 sq ft of selling space within a total area of 150,000 sq ft and will employ more than 1,000 workers.

The £25m building, which will have taken less than eight months to complete, is two and a half times the size of Tesco's recently extended Ocotal Way store.

As well as foods, the store will sell a wide range of non-food items including jewellery, clothing and electrical equipment.