SAINSBURY'S is moving into Darlington.

Supermarket group Morrison's has agreed to sell the Safeway store in Victoria Road to its rival.

The store is one of 13 Safeway sites in the North and the Midlands which will become a Sainsbury's supermarket.

Morrison's must sell 52 stores to comply with conditions set by the Competition Commission when it gave the company the go-ahead for the £3bn takeover of Safeway in March.

Although no price was put on the latest sale, which is subject to Government approval, the 13 supermarkets are thought to have a value of about £110m.

The acquisition of the Darlington store will be completed by the end of the summer.

A spokeswoman for Sainsbury's said: "Generally, there are about 250 members of staff at each Safeway store and hopefully all of them will transfer to Sainsbury's.

"Each store will be looked at and any changes made will be done on a store-by-store basis."

She said that Sainsbury's aimed to continue with development at any of the stores where planning permission had been granted.

In February 2003, a planning application to extend the Safeway store in Victoria Road was put on hold after the company failed to satisfy the concerns of planners at Darlington Council. Currently, there is no other proposal pending.

Coun Heather Scott said: "I'm very pleased to be getting an alternative supermarket in the town and it is good that the uncertainty to do with the store's future has been sorted.

"I was very concerned that it would remain a Morrison's store because we have got another two in the town. I would hope it's going to be a good quality, upgraded store.

"I also hope Sainsbury's will continue with the two hours' free parking policy because it was one of the conditions on the original planning application. I will be keeping an eye on it."

Other Safeway stores which will be taken over by Sainsbury's include White House Farm, Stockton; Tadcaster; Scarborough; and also the Morrison's store in Ripon.

Darlington's smaller Safeway store, in Cockerton, must also be sold.