A BUDGET supermarket chain is looking to open five new stores across North Yorkshire, including Malton.

Aldi has announced it is on the lookout for six new store locations in the county.

The brand is the UK’s fifth largest supermarket and already has stores in Fulford Road, at Monk's Cross and in Huntington in York.

They have been on an expansion drive in recent years, opening around one new store a week.

The areas in North Yorkshire where it is now looking for sites also include Tadcaster, Harrogate and Scarborough.

It says each site should be around 1.5 acres and able to accommodate a 20,000 sq ft store with around 100 parking spaces, ideally on a prominent main road and with good visibility and access.

Ciaran Aldridge, National Property Director at Aldi UK, said: “We have been investing in Britain for more than 30 years now, but we know that there are still areas that either do not have an Aldi at all, or that need another store to meet customer demand.

“Shoppers are increasingly looking to get unbeatable prices on their weekly shop without compromising on quality. That’s why, more so than ever, we’re keen to explore all opportunities to open new stores across the country.”

No precise location details for the sites have been released yet, but the full list of locations it is targeting in North Yorkshire are:

• Harrogate

• Scarborough

• York

• Malton

• Tadcaster

And Middlesbrough in Teesside