JOBS have been secured with the opening of a new sports store in Dorchester.

A sports clearance store that opened in the county town’s Tudor Arcade before Christmas is now being opened as a permanent specialist sports store by leading retailer Intersport Tony Pryce.

All five staff will be kept on and the store will be celebrating its opening on Saturday by offering discounts, vouchers and free gifts.

Store manager Colette Martin said staff were ‘excited’ about the opening of the new store and looked forward to working with the local community.

She said: “We are very excited to be opening in the county town of Dorchester our first Tony Pryce in Dorset.

“My team and I are looking forward to working with local schools, clubs and various communities.

“We will stock a full range of sports footwear, clothing and equipment and are committed to providing great customer service and product knowledge to the people of Dorchester and the surrounding areas.”

The new Intersport Tony Pryce store will also help fill the void left by the closure of the JJB Sports store in South Street last year.

Managing director of the sports firm Adrian Giblett said: “We are really excited to be offered the opportunity to open a specialist sports store in Dorchester.

“Tony Pryce Sports is a Somerset-based company, with over 30 years experience in the sports trade.

“We supply good quality performance product at competitive prices, backed up by fully trained staff.

“Our Intersport membership allows us to access exclusive product from all the major sports manufacturers, so whether you are an individual or a club we would be pleased to meet your requirements”

Chairman of the Dorchester BID (Business Improvement District) John Fiori said he was delighted to see the new business setting up in town and that the jobs of employees would be secured.

He said: “It’s very good news because we do need another sports shop in the town.

“Hopefully it’s a sign of things to come and more empty shops will soon start filling up so we can bring on the spring with plenty of booming business.”