ASDA Caldicot opened its doors for the first time this week welcoming 450 shoppers in its first hour.

Eager customers lined the store on its opening day with monetary prizes awarded to the first 200 customers.

135 new jobs have been created for local people at the store which officially opened this Monday (13th October).

Local hero two-year-old Imogen Ashwell-Lewis was the star of the Asda opening.

The brave tot who suffers with spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy, was invited with her mother, Catherine Ashwell-Rice by colleagues to officially open the Woodstock Way store, following a search for a local hero.

Imogen's appeal launched earlier this year through the Tree of Hope Charity reached its fundraising target of £40,000 last week, enabling Imogen to have life changing Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) treatment soon.

The operation combined with physiotherapy will help Imogen to walk unaided.

SDR treatment is not currently funded on the NHS.

The campaign received support across the county from fundraisers who rallied together for the tot.

Catherine said: "The £40,000 we have raised will pay for Imogen's operation and immediate aftercare.

"Anything we raise over £40,000 will contribute to her long term rehabilitation which needs to continue for a few years post-op.

"Imogen had great fun opening Asda this morning and was chosen as their local hero.

"For us the heroes are actually Sylvia Mort, Natalie Brown, Vicky Allen and everyone else that has helped us get this far with the fundraising.

"I never for one moment thought when we started this journey that we could achieve this in such a short period of time or that the communities of Chepstow and Caldicot would pull together to help and support us like they have.

"We're so grateful to Asda for their kind donation towards Imogen's treatment and we were delighted to be asked to officially open the new store.

"To have raised this amount in such a short period of time has been overwhelming but thoroughly enjoyable. I've made a lot of new friends and so has Imogen."

Imogen is awaiting a date from Bristol Children's Hospital for Imogen to have her operation in January.

Other special guests at Asda included the Mayor of Caldicot, Allan Davies, and pupils from Durand Primary School.

Representatives from Caldicot Male Voice Choir were also there to entertain the crowds, performing a selection of their best-known hits to delighted shoppers.

Store manager, André Ripano, said:

"We were delighted that the Mayor and the community could join us for the opening of the brand new store, which will make a huge difference to local people.

"Imogen's story is a very special one and the people of Caldicot and Chepstow have got fully behind her cause, helping to raise more than the full amount and we wanted to honour her bravery by making her our local hero.