Aldi has announced a pay rise for store colleagues in Worcestershire for the second time this year, cementing its spot as the region's highest paying supermarket.

Beginning on June 1, Aldi store assistants and deputy store managers in the area will see an increase in their hourly wage from £12 to £12.40.

This decision follows the supermarket's move in February to become the first supermarket in Worcestershire to pay its store and warehouse staff at least £12 an hour.

Now, the hourly rate for store staff and managers across Worcestershire will rise to £12.40.

On top of this, Aldi is the only supermarket to offer paid breaks, which for an average store employee equates to value more than £900 per year.

Giles Hurley, chief executive of Aldi UK and Ireland commented on the increase, stating that Aldi's staff are essential to the supermarket chain's growing popularity among customers.

He added: "We firmly believe that our colleagues are the best in the business, so it is only right that they remain the best-paid and we are committed to never being beaten on pay by any other supermarket.

"Our Store Operations colleagues play an integral part in our ever-increasing popularity among shoppers and our continued investment in their pay is another way to thank them for the role they play in making Aldi what it is today."

The latest pay-rise announcement represents an investment of £79m in pay this year by Aldi.

In addition, the supermarket company is planning to generate 5,500 new jobs across the UK in the same period.

Currently recognised as the fourth-largest supermarket in the UK, Aldi has more than 1,000 stores and 11 regional distribution centres, employing around 45,000 colleagues across Britain.