Late-night sandwich shop is hot stuff

Revellers who had been partying the night away in Wolverhampton today swapped their burgers and kebabs for sausage rolls and pasties after a city sandwich shop decided to open late for hungry dancers.

Emma Lucas, Carrie Ann Duncombe and Lindy Barnsley

Greggs is now open until 4.30am every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Bosses said they had decided to ask for permission to open four late night shops in the Midlands, including one in Birmingham and two in Nottingham, after campaigns by customers over the social networking site Facebook.

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Arriving just before 2.30am at the Market Street shop were friends Lee Moss, Tony Round and Billy Newell who had been for a night out at Cheeky Monkey at Wolverhampton Civic Hall.

Lee, a 25-year-old IT consultant of Central Avenue, Bilston, said: "We're getting sausage rolls, steak bakes and sausage and bean melts. It's a lot cheaper than the kebab shops and it's fresh. I think they've made a good move because they'll rake it in."

Kully Bains from Warwickshire and Kully Singh from Leamington Spa were in Wolverhampton for a reunion with friends from their days at the city's university. Mr Singh, aged 30, said: "My mate's a vegetarian so he's able to get a cheese and onion bake. Our friends are getting food somewhere else."

After spending the evening at Oceana, 18-year-olds Carrie Ann Duncombe, Emma Lucas and Lindy Barnsley were after a tasty treat before getting their taxi home.

Sports science student Lindy, of Ragley Close, Bloxwich, said: "We think it's the best thing since sliced bread."

Louise Dickinson and Stephanie Walker, who both work at The Broadlands pub in Wednesfield, were picking up French bread pizzas. The 21-year-olds said they were taken aback to find so many people inside Greggs late at night. Restaurant manager Louise said: "It's brilliant, it's cheap and we've both been fed for £3 between us."

Manager Geno Chand, aged 40, said extra staff had been taken on to do the late shifts.

She said: "It's been going really well, we've served hundreds of customers. It looks a bit different to during the day because we have a glass screen above the counter for security and we have a man on the door.

"We also all have panic alarms and the company pays for taxis home but so far it's all been fine."

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