A NEW Tesco store is due to open in a former pub that closed suddenly last year – but one shopkeeper says it will “kill” his trade.

As reported in the Daily Echo last August, The Dolphin pub in Holdenhurst Road, Springbourne, closed without notice, leaving staff and regulars stunned.

The Greene King pub was sold to Tesco and the store is due to open in the next couple of weeks.

But Salman Ekinci, who runs the Premier store a few doors down with his father, said: “We’ve been concerned ever since we heard it is opening up.

“It will kill business, we don’t know what’s going to happen, it might put us out of business, it might not, it’s a worrying two or three months now.”

Tesco said the new store was creating 12 jobs, all recruited from the area.

Store manager Ross Gear said: “I was thrilled by the huge response we received to our recruitment drive.

“In this time of economic uncertainty, it is great that we are able to create jobs for our local community and help get people back into work.

“I am really pleased with my new team and I’m looking forward to working with them.

“We are delighted to be opening a Tesco Express store on Holdenhurst Road and look forward to playing an active role in the local community.”

The store will be open from 6am to 11pm, seven days a week. It will have a car park, bakery, cash machine and self-service tills.

What you think of the new store

Deanne Gajewski, 20, from Springbourne, said: “I don’t really mind, there’s lots of Tescos around Bournemouth and it’s getting a bit silly, but we all need them. The shops are going to suffer severely.”

Valerie Maltin, 78, from Springbourne, said: “We’ve got two shops here and it’s nice to have the personal touch. It’s more than enough for this area.

“Me and my son used to have lunch in the pub.”

Rose Dilmac, from Springbourne, said: “There are lots of shops here. People can go shopping at the weekend out of town. It’s too many for an area like this; there could be other things here.”