CO-OP are to provide shoppers in Hamworthy with a bit of pre-Christmas cheer by opening a temporary store.

Residents have been left without a major food shop since a fire gutted the Co-op on Blandford Road last month.

But the supermarket chain will open its temporary outlet in the car park of the Hamworthy site on Thursday, November 29.

The interim service is likely to remain in place until the main store is rebuilt and reopened.

Gary Metcalfe, regional manager for the Co-op, said: "We are looking forward to serving the Hamworthy community again and would like to thank our customers for their loyalty and patience since the fire.

"The temporary store will mean shoppers can get ready for the festive period without having to travel too far."

Co-op say the 3,000 sq ft outlet will provide "a comprehensive range of products and services".

The chain has been laying on daily buses to their nearest branch in Corfe Mullen since the fire.

But these services will cease when the temporary store opens next month.

Rebuilding of the Hamworthy store is set to cost Co-op £4.5m.

September's blaze broke out in the early hours and quickly swept through the store, destroying it completely.

There was much confusion in the following days over whether the fire had been started deliberately.

Initial reports suggested nothing suspicious, but fire investigators then said they believed it had been started intentionally in paper recycling containers at the rear of the store.

However, police later insisted "there was no evidence to suggest that the fire was cause by any criminal action".

* In Friday's Daily Echo, we reported on the new Lidl supermarket granted approval in Hamworthy.

We are happy to clarify the name of the Hamworthy West councillor quoted in the article is Mike Wilkins and not Mike Watkins, as reported.