Hundreds of people turned up to meet TV hardman Ross Kemp when he opened a new superstore in Chatham earlier.

The returning EastEnders actor cut the ribbon at the GO Outdoors branch at the former Tesco site in The Brook at 9am.

After performing the honours, Ross - best known for playing Grant Mitchell in the soap - met fans and took part in a Q and A session and happily signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans.

Ross, who is also an author and award-winning investigative journalist, said: "It is not the first one I have opened, (the store) I‘ve opened about five now.

“I like the concept that you don‘t have to go to a very expensive mountaineering store in Covent Garden.

"You can get what you need here to go for a walk, go away for the weekend or go on a cycle ride or even do a bit of fishing.

"Even stuff I’ve worn in Syria and Iraq I got from here.

"It’s pretty cold there believe it or not and I used some of the kit I got from GO Outdoors on the frontline and on the battlefield."

The star happily met fans who were able to ask him questions.

He added: "Most of men here in Chatham want to know about the documentaries, the young boys want to know about Afghanistan.

"All the women, well there is only one thing they want to know about and one thing only, which is when am I going back to EastEnders?

“I am really happy to be going back. Barbara (Windsor) asked me specifically. I could have said no, but I think I owe it to the Mitchells.

“The Mitchells are a really important family in the soap, even now.

“Steve (McFadden) and I, we turned up pretty green and we, with the help of the writers, turned the Mitchells into something.

"It was good fun for the 10 years I did it.”

Ross also talked about his new hard-hitting documentary series Ross Kemp’s Britain, which started last Tuesday on Sky.

His first show focused on the issue of immigration, next Tuesday’s edition features the issue of child sexual exploitation and the third will be about Britain’s alcohol problem.

Kmfm joined Ross at the new store, where people got the chance to take part in a £250 Easter Egg hunt, with more than £1,000 worth of prizes on offer throughout the day.

GO Outdoors will be offering a special discount of 15% off everything in store and a free discount card worth £5 over the weekend as part of the opening celebrations and will employ 60 staff.

The company was founded in 1998 and has grown to become the UK’s largest retailer of outdoor equipment and clothing offering customers everything under one roof for enjoyment of the great outdoors.

The 40,000 sq ft store will offer clothing and equipment for a range of activities including camping, walking, climbing, riding, fishing, skiing and running, as well as launching the new cycling concept within store.

The company employs over 1,800 outdoors enthusiasts who are responsible for safeguarding GO Outdoors’ core principle of ‘inspiring others to get outdoors for less and love it as much as we do’.

Chris Matthews, GO Outdoors chief executive, said: "We are delighted to be open our 55th store, in Chatham.

"Our superstore will stock a huge range of outdoor gear at great prices, allowing our customers in west Kent to explore the great outdoors for less."

The closest stores to Medway are currently in Thurrock and Canterbury.

Tesco had been in Chatham since the 1970s and 121 people lost their jobs when the supermarket closed its doors in the town.

The branch was shut down as part of a company-wide cull to cut costs, with 42 other Tesco stores across the country also closing.

Last year the supermarket giant reported the worst results in its 107-year history, with a pre-tax loss of £6.4 billion for the year to the end of February.

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