Bargain hunters looking to beat the credit crunch will be flocking to Haverfordwest’s Castle Square today (Friday), as a new store opens in the former Woolworths building.

UK recession-busters 99p Stores is opened its first west Wales store at 9am this morning, creating around 30 new jobs.

The former Woolies building has stood empty for almost a year but will now be filled with bargains galore.

A "friendly police presence" has been requested by store bosses for today’s opening. At other store openings queues have begun as early as midnight.

The company is looking at other sites in west Wales and has been opening one or two new outlets a week all over the UK this year.

Co-founder and commercial director, Hussein Lalani, said: "Woolworths started out as a six-pence shop with everything at one price, we are the 21st century version of this. We feel proud to take over the mantle and consider ourselves custodians of the Woolworths brand.

"When Woolworths was set up it connected with the British public and we believe we are doing this."

Meanwhile plans for the former Woolies site in Pembroke Dock’s Dimond Street are close to being completed by Guy Thomas and Co.

Spokesman for 99p Stores, Graham Barnes, could neither confirm nor deny that the company was planning to open at the site but said it had not been ruled out. He added: "We are actively looking at appropriate and available sites in the region."