Pupils at a school on Portland helped with the celebrations by cutting the ribbon that officially opened the island’s new supermarket.

The new Lidl on Hamm Beach Road, Osprey Quay, had its long-awaited opening last Thursday, and crowds of eager shoppers gathered to catch a first glimpse of the new store.

Children from Atlantic Academy Portland cut the ribbon and a spokesman from the school said the pupils really enjoyed the occasion.

They said: “Students and staff were delighted to be part of the Lidl opening.

“Our student ambassadors were excited to meet the store manager, have a tour of the store and see the staff wellbeing room. They also enjoyed receiving their goody bags.

“We felt privileged to be selected to represent our community.”

Store manager Grzegorz Gosciniak, known as Gregg, was amazed by the local response to the store.

He said: “We have had a lot of customers, way more than I expected.

“It’s been a hard few weeks getting the store and staff ready for opening day, but it has all been worth it and it has obviously paid off because when we opened this morning there was a big queue outside. It’s fantastic.”

Portland resident Jess Willis was one of the islanders who made the trip down on opening day.

She said: “It’s great that we have more of a selection because we already have a Tesco but this is another place to go to now for our shopping.

“We loved the big bakery because you smell it as soon as you walk in.”

Plans for the new store received a wave of support from residents when they were revealed last year.

Up to 40 new jobs have been created.

However there are concerns that the store is currently not on a bus route – the nearest stop on First’s Weymouth-Portland service 1 is at Victoria Square, almost a mile away.

Following public pressure, First is considering making a slight diversion on the route to serve the new store off Portland Beach Road, but will be asking passengers for their views before making a decision. It says, however, Dorset Council must also be in agreement as it is the authority for maintaining bus stops and erecting bus shelters.

Speaking at the opening of Portland Lidl, Tom Drew, a Weymouth resident, said: “I live in Wyke so I thought I would come and see the new store.

“It is a bit of a pain to get to at the moment but hopefully a bus gets sorted soon because it’s not the easiest part of the world to get to.”