Work has started to transform Morrison's first supermarket into a multi-million pound retail complex.

The Bradford-based supermarket giant opened the store, which was converted from an old cinema, at the Victoria shopping centre in Thornton Road, Girlington, in 1961.

Now work has started to redevelop the site for the new Millennium, creating 200 extra jobs.

Plans include a purpose-built 105,000 sq ft store, a garden centre, individual retail units for lease, a DIY store and 820 parking spaces.

The complex is expected to open next spring with the whole site due for completion by the end of 2000. Grocery manager Joe Sitti, 41, who started work at the store in 1975, said he remembered the supermarket when it first opened.

"I used to live right next to it in Young Street and there was real excitement when it was first built in the 60s," he said.

"Nobody had seen anything like it before and they were scared to go in.

"They couldn't believe that you went in and took food off the shelves - we were all used to small corner shops."

The start of the redevelopment work follows the relocation of Farmer's Boy - Morrisons fresh food manufacturing line, to its new factory on Cemetery Road.

Morrisons existing Victoria store will continue trading throughout the work but the building will be demolished when the new store opens.

Store manager Wayne Smith said: "There will obviously be disruption but we'll try to make things as smooth as possible for our customers.

"The new centre will be very impressive and we're expecting big things from it.

"It seems fitting that what was Morrisons first supermarket will become a flagship store."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.