A THREE-way supermarket war is to be fought in Accrington town centre with the opening of Morrisons.

The supermarket chain said it had secured 46 at-risk jobs after taking over the former Netto store in Accrington.

Councillors said the presence of three supermarket giants, Tesco, Asda and now Morrisons, in the town centre showed Accrington was seen as a desirable location by big name stores.

For years Asda was the only major supermarket name in the town, until the Tesco superstore opened last year near the train station.

Barnfield councillor Tony Dobson said: “The thing is, do we want an empty Netto store or a new Morrisons? So I do think it is a good thing.

"This also comes after the news of Costa Coffee and Wetherspoons coming here, so obviously we are in demand by nationals chains.

“The competition should also see the price for the weekly shop go down, something many people would welcome right now.

“It is competition for the market hall but I think competition is good.

“When I owned bars in Accrington I always found that a good competitor simply brought more people in.”

However, Hyndburn MP Graham Jones was more sceptical, questioning whether there was enough custom for three stores.

He said: “I think it remains to be seen whether they simply cannibalise custom from Asda and Tesco or whether the impact will be on the smaller traders.

“I don’t see how it can be a positive impact.”

Store manager, Lee McLeod and Brian Stockdale, from Save the Children, will officially open the store to the public on Monday.