A NEW £2 million Aldi supermarket is almost ready to open the doors in Worcester - sparking store wars.

The German retailer is putting the final touches on its new outlet at the top of Bath Road, where a former Homebase unit is being completely transformed.

In recent months the building has been part-demolished and extended, with a B&M also due to open there.

Bosses at Aldi say the store will open "this spring", with March or April the likely month, although the exact date is still to be fixed.

The main building has been almost completely fitted out and Aldi signage has gone up around the site, alerting passing drivers to its imminent opening.

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Its arrival will trigger a fierce supermarket battle with Tesco, which has a store just three minutes down the road off St Peter's Drive.

Tesco has been able to operate a virtual monopoly in the south of the city since it opened back in the late 1980s, with Aldi now set to be its biggest threat.

Residents living in the area say they will welcome the choice despite some concerns over traffic.

Lesley Hull, 48, of Swallow Close, St Peter's, said: "We've got a Tesco and a Co-op close by but it'd be good to have more choice, Sainsbury's isn't far but you've got to head over the (Carrington) bridge to get there.

"I think it'll be great, I will probably do my shopping at both supermarkets."

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John Oliver, 37, of Aycliffe Road, said: "The traffic around here can be horrendous, especially in Bath Road.

"I don't think it can get much worse by the roundabout (Norton island), but we'll definitely be shopping there when it opens."

An Aldi spokesperson said: "Our new Bath Road store in Worcester is progressing well and we are looking forward to opening its doors in the spring.

"The new store will create up to 40 jobs for the local community."

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The supermarket was awarded planning permission by Worcester City Council in October 2015, despite some concern about its proximity to homes.

At the time, 26 people living adjacent to the site wrote letters of objection to planners.

It will be Aldi's third Worcester store, a sign of the retailer's growing influence with supermarket shoppers.

The other two are in Pheasant Street, and at the old PC World unit in Tybridge Street, St John's, which opened last year.

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