Gallery & Video: Trolley dash at new Huntingdon discount store

Excitement filled the aisles of a new discount store in Huntingdon yesterday (Tuesday) as a mother of two took part in a trolley dash bagging more than 90 items. Mandy Mullane, of Little Stukeley, won the prize which marked the official opening of the tow

Excitement filled the aisles of a new discount store in Huntingdon yesterday (Tuesday) as a mother of two took part in a trolley dash bagging more than 90 items.

Mandy Mullane, of Little Stukeley, won the prize which marked the official opening of the town's new 99p Store.

The 47-year-old managed to amass an impressive 91 items in her 99 second dash, but she fell way short of the world trolley dash record of 265 items.

However, it was a respectable amount. A spokesman for the store said Mrs Mullane's total was the third highest out of the 70 trolley dashes the firm had organised.

She described the dash as an exhausting but exhilarating experience.

Mrs Mullane won the chance to take part in the trolley dash after entering the store's competition, promoted in The Hunts Post, to find the best bargain slogan using up to nine words.

Her suggestions were "I love a bargain - all under my budget margin" and "For under a pound - all my bargains are found".

The grandmother of five, said: "I'm really pleased with the amount of items I collected. I've got a lot for the kids and that's what's important."

Her husband, Andy, assisted during the dash by picking up items that missed the trolley.

After the dash Mrs Mullane cut the ribbon to officially open the store, located in the town's former Woolworths building. She was assisted by 15-year-old Jaz Bhogal who hit the headlines last week after staff at the 99p Store in Wisbech refused to sell him wine gums without ID.

About 50 people queued outside the store for the opening.

A company spokesman said: "We had a tremendous response, one of our best crowds of people ever."

The new store has created 30 new jobs.