Rising demand from hard-pressed shoppers has led bargain retailer Poundland to nearly double the size of a store.

The Poundland store in Keighley 's Arndale Shopping Centre will be closed between Saturday, September 29, and Thursday, October 4 while the extension is completed. It will be expanded from 4,300 sq ft to more than 7,000 sq ft.

The work will lead to some new jobs, although Poundland has not yet revealed how many. It will hold a family fun day to mark the store's reopening.

The move is part of continued expansion by the Midlands-based group, whose senior team includes former Morrisons corporate marketing and operations director Richard Lancaster, who joined from the Bradford-based supermarket group in July.

The discount retailer now has more than 400 UK branches, including one in Bradford's Kirkgate Centre.

David Coxon, trading director, said: “Poundland has grown significantly over the past 12 months and it’s fantastic to see this expansion of our store in Keighley. We’re looking forward to re-opening our doors.”

Poundland recently announced its annual results for the year to April 1 in which it grew sales by 21.6 per cent to £780 million.

Jim McCarthy, chief executive, said: “Our strong sales demonstrate that customers recognize our exceptional value for money.”