BOSSES at discount supermarket giants Lidl have confirmed two new stores for Bolton and Blackburn will open their doors over the next three years.

Four hundred new jobs are expected to be generated by the Greater Manchester and East Lancashire expansion programme.

Proposals are being advanced for a new store at Bromley Cross, as part of the initiative.

And a new Lidl will be built on Furthergate, in Blackburn, on the Fix Auto site, once the historic firm has relocated.

This announcement follows on from a project to refurbish their Farnworth store and their Todmorden outlet relocating further along Halifax Road.

Further sites for Lidls have also been identified at Oldham Mumps and the Altrincham Retail Park.

And stores will be opened, before the end of 2022, in the centre of Manchester, Cheetham Hill, Winton, Glossop, Tameside and Eccles.

Nick Harvey, the company's regional property head, said the firm had opened more than 30 stores in East Lancashire and Greater Manchester since they came to the UK in 1994.

He added: "As customer demand for the Lidl offering continues to grow...we’re excited and proud to be in a position to continue opening new stores and creating more employment opportunities across the region."