Hundreds of shoppers piled into a new store hunting for a bargain when it opened its doors this morning.

Rain failed to dampen the spirits of excited customers queuing up outside homeware giant B&M's latest store in Kent.

The shop in Folkestone opened at 9am in the Park Farm Retail Park, replacing the old Homebase, and is creating 80 jobs.

Representatives from homeless charity the Rainbow Centre and Folkestone Mayor Cllr Roger West will cut the ribbon.

B&M staff selected the Rainbow Centre to headline the ceremony when the company asked them to nominate a charity as part of a publicity drive.

As well as opening the new store, the centre’s representatives will also receive £250 worth of B&M vouchers to help their work in the community.

Store manager Terry Arnold said the rain had been a bit depressing after the build up over the last three to four months.

"Obviously you look forward to the grand opening and the throng of the crowd and the wow factor we generally deliver," he said.

"When you open up and there's gales and wind it's a little bit depressing but that all went away when you see the faces of the people walking in the doors.

"Given the weather that absolutely surprised me and it's great to see the people of Folkestone buying into what we've got to offer.

"I lost count after about 50. I think I was there about five, six, seven minutes possibly longer handing out baskets and greeting people.

"Standing here now seeing people walk past with smiles on their faces picking up goods is what we want. We've come to deliver something different to Folkestone and I hope that's what customers are getting.

"The team from the Rainbow Centre really stood out for us as they go the extra mile for local community, we wanted to give them some VIP treatment as a thank you for all the hard work they do.

The discount chain’s new store and garden centre has been refurbished inside and out since its opening was announced in May.

It comes following openings in Strood, Chatham and Ashford, creating more than 260 jobs in the county and making B&M one of the UK’s fastest growing retailers.

It sells a wide variety of branded products including toys, food and drink, homeware, pet products, health and beauty and seasonal ranges.

The Folkestone store will also have a large DIY, decorating and furniture range, as well as a garden centre.

Its launch comes a week after the retailer opened its second store in Ashford in the town's High Street last Friday.

However, the opening was overshadowed when a B&M truck brought down part of the town’s Christmas lights the night before opening day.