QUICK-footed pensioner David Kelly kept his cool as he took part in what could only be described as a cut-price trolley dash.

Mr Kelly was not fazed by the crowds, or a 99-second time limit, as he sped around Festival Place’s new 99p stores, grabbing items from the shelves at its official opening on November 1.

The 70-year-old, from Hatch Warren, Basingstoke, was nominated by his wife Maureen to take up the challenge, after she won a competition to take part in the trolley dash.

The 65-year-old great-grandmother wrote a short poem about why she likes a bargain, and was chosen as the winner.

She said: “It literally was a last-minute thing on Sunday evening. I thought I would write a quick poem but I didn’t think for a minute I would win.”

She allowed her husband, a part-time mobile response officer, to take the limelight.

Mr Kelly headed straight for the toiletry aisle and managed to collect 78 different items during his dash, above the average of 70, but way below the 99p stores world record of 265 items.

He said afterwards: “When you are grabbing the items, because they are so tightly packed it’s hard to get hold of them. The time went quicker than I thought. But my wife will be pleased with what I have got.”

After the dash, the father-of-four cut the ribbon to declare the shop officially open, allowing the queue of people to come inside.

Jacqueline Doublet, of London Road, Old Basing, was queuing with her son Mark, 38, from 7.30am, waiting for the shop to open at 9am.

The 65-year-old said: “I want to get the 20-piece dinner service for my son which is free when you spend £10. But you have to be one of the first 500 so I got here early to make sure.”

Hussein Lalani, commercial director of 99p stores, set up the business with his father and brother 10 years ago.

The 37-year-old said: “Our first shop was in Holloway in London, and we have expanded over the years. We saw Poundland and thought we could do it better. When we started, we didn’t imagine that penny would be so important, but in today’s time, every penny counts.

“In 2009, when Woolworths went, we doubled in size and had a huge growth spurt, and many of our shops are in old Woolworths stores.”

The Basingstoke shop is the 159th to open across the country, creating 35 jobs in the town.

Mr Lalani added: “We have been looking for a store in Basingstoke for seven or eight years. Everyone said ‘go to Basingstoke’. Just looking at the crowd we have managed to bring this morning, I’m confident it will do well.”