The pet care retailer has taken over the former 6,000 sq ft M&S Simply Food store in Scalford Road and will serve its first customers on Friday, November 13.

It will provide thousands of dedicated pet products, catering for dogs, cats, small animals, birds and fish, as well as wildlife.

Store manager Helen Price and her team, who have been busy undergoing special training to further develop their pet care expertise, are looking forward to welcoming Melton's pets and their owners.

Helen said: "We are delighted to be opening in Melton. We are passionate about pets and that will be evident to everyone who visits us. We will provide plenty of advice and ideas for customers and we welcome pets of all shapes and sizes."

Customers will find a pet village in store, which is home to rabbits and guinea pigs, along with their other furry friends such as hamsters, gerbils and rats, plus more unusual pets such as degus and chinchillas, and Pets at Home's very own adoption centre.

There will also be an aquatic centre with cold water and tropical fish, as well as a wide range of accessories suitable for fish keepers of all levels.

Customers are invited to enjoy the opening celebrations taking place at the store on next weekend (November 14 and 15). There will be free entertainment for children, in the form of face painting and balloon modelling, and customers will be able to take advantage of a 10 per cent discount during the store's opening weekend.

Families are invited to visit the pet village for Picnic Time, which will take place at 4pm every weekday and at 2.30pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Picnic Time is an interactive learning session where customers can watch the pets being fed their healthy afternoon snacks, learn about their feeding habits and how to care for pets responsibly.