BUILDERS were busy clearing rubble from the site of a new multi-million pound supermarket in Barnard Castle this week.

Workers have already demolished the toilets that once stood next to the Safeway store, and once the ground is cleared, work will begin to build the supermarket.

Although the piles of rubble may well be an eyesore for the people in the market town, for many it is a sure sign that work is finally under way.

The site had been at the centre of a five-year dispute between the supermarket chain and Teesdale District Council, which disagreed over the price of the land on which the £15m store would be built.

Negotiations dragged on between the two parties until a price agreement was finally reached earlier this year.

The current supermarket will be demolished to make way for the superstore and it is expected that extra parking space will also be available once work is completed, which could be as soon as the end of next year.

A Safeway spokesman said: "I think everyone in the town is delighted that work can now start and that Safeway can provide the town with a fantastic supermarket."