Central England Co-op has opened its new £1.5 million community store at Donington le Heath in Hugglescote.

The Food Store, which is known as Oak Tree Corner as a nod to the nickname of where it is located, officially opened in Manor Road, Donington le Heath, on Friday.

To mark the opening, colleagues were joined by special guests including children and staff from nearby Hugglescote Community Primary School to cut the ribbon.

Children from the school produced a special piece of artwork celebrating the Oak Tree which formerly stood on the site and is featured on the outside of the new store - giving the children the chance to see their work every time they visit.

Co-op says the new store offers shoppers an expansive range of products, pioneering new energy efficient refrigeration technologies and LED lighting to minimise environmental impact.

The store also includes a free water refill station and a phone charging area.

Store Manager Jonathan Bird said: "It was fantastic to be able to welcome Hugglescote Community Primary School to help us cut the ribbon on our brand new store and to see their fantastic artwork recreated on the store which really pays homage to the history of the location in a vibrant and colourful way.

"All of us here at Oak Tree Corner are proud to be part of such a great community in Donington le Heath so therefore were delighted to work with the school on this wonderful feature.

"I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank local residents for their patience. It's been long-awaited, but hopefully everyone will enjoy the store as much as we do."

Nicky Walker, deputy head teacher at Hugglescote Community Primary School, said the pupils were excited to be part of the launch and that they could pay a special tribute to one of their classmates through the artwork now displayed on the new store.

She said: "We were delighted to be asked to cut the ribbon on the new Central England Co-op store at Oak Tree Corner and particularly thrilled that the children were asked to produce artwork to be part of the design.

"The children had a great time completing the project and have been so excited to come down and have a tour around the store and see their work proudly displayed.

"The artwork has an extra poignancy for us as a school, as the children wanted to make sure it included a fox, which was the favourite animal of one of their friends and classmates who sadly passed away before Christmas, so this will act as a lovely tribute to them."

Shoppers visiting the store on opening day were able to grab a free Costa Coffee when registering an email address to celebrate the launch, while a further opening offer in the coming weeks will see shoppers able to be entered into special prize draws to win £100.

The Oak Tree Corner Co-operative Food Store is open from 7am to 10pm, Monday to Sunday. The store offers a wide range of products from everyday necessities to something a little more special.

The store offer includes fresh and local fruit and vegetables, an in-store bakery offering breads and pastries, chilled beers and wines, fresh and frozen product, Irresistible product ranges, and a great selection of food to go.

It also offers Lottery, Paypoint, Collect Plus and foreign currency, as well as a Costa Coffee machine, an instant hot water tap so customers can enjoy a herbal tea, free customer car park, customer seating areas inside and outside the store, customer toilets, a free cash machine and a lifesaving defibrilator.

Customers can also support local good causes as a specialist collection point has been installed for Coalville Food Bank and Feed the Need.