A BOOKMAKERS that will open this week in Chepstow town centre has refuted claims that it is going to be an eye-sore in the town.

Done Bookmakers which has now changed its name to BetFred is set to open on Friday and offer punters an alternative to William Hill in the town. However as the Free Press reported previously some people in Chepstow are less than happy with its arrival.

Alex Rippon who has bought an apartment above the premises said: "I think it will look ugly and it is going to cause myself and the other people living in the apartments above the shop to suffer from increased noise and cigarette smoke filtering up into where we live."

However Derek Somers the area manager for BetFred has said: "We do not want to be bad neighbours. I can assure people that the shop will not be an eyesore.

"We have got air conditioning to get rid of any smoke and when the new laws inevitably come in we will become a no-smoking environment. "There will be minimal noise as we only have a TV that will be showing races that people have bet on.

"BetFred had been trying for two years to open a shop in Chepstow and they eventually got a planning licence after an appeal in crown court. We are hoping to be open by Friday and have taken on board local staff. I am glad the planning issues have been resolved as if we had not taken the unit, it could have become derelict.

"It was important that we put a shop in Chepstow because we had people travel to our store in Caldicot just to put a bet on with us.

"This will be shop 560 in the UK and I am excited that the shop is finally going to be opened and I hope that the people of Chepstow will enjoy our service."