Supermarket 'obsessed' girl has dream fourth birthday opening Ossett Lidl store
The moment Willow Driver cut the ribbon to open the new Lidl store in Ossett.
A girl who is "obsessed" with her local supermarket was given the honour of opening the store after a revamp on her fourth birthday.
Willow Driver, who lives in Ossett, Wakefield, passes the Lidl store daily. After the shop closed for refurbishments, she asked her parents "literally every day" if she could go back inside, but she never expected to be the one opening it.
Willow's mum, Vicky Driver, said: "The opening day just so happened to be Willow's fourth birthday so I said wouldn't it be good if she could go and pretend to open it, but thought there's just no way we could make that happen.
"Little did I know my sister had contacted head office. She just asked for a mock opening but they said we can do one better and let Willow officially open the store."
Willow was invited to cut the ribbon in a special opening ceremony, alongside the town crier, where staff and customers sang her happy birthday. She even got to sit behind the till and scan shopping herself.
Ms Driver told ITV News: "I don't know how we're going to top this birthday - Willow was absolutely ecstatic.
"She was just so excited and told everybody that she was going. She got a little bit of stage fright, but when it came to cutting the ribbon she stepped up and chopped it with confidence."
Willow was given her own mini shopping trolly to push around the store and pick up her own birthday gifts, before sitting behind till number six and scanning the shopping herself.
Ms Driver added that it was "an amazing day" and Willow is absolutely "thrilled" with her birthday present.
A spokesperson for Lidl GB said: "We were delighted to have Willow, our very own Lidl superfan, join us on her 4th birthday to help us open the doors to the store and help us welcome customers back.
"She did an absolutely smashing job cutting the ribbon, and we can’t wait to see her back in store soon."
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