PUPILS of a Swindon school are to meet a hypermarket's artists in residence as part of what is being proclaimed as a unique project.

The Hreod Parkway students have already been working with Asda Wal-Mart's Simon Grennan and Christopher Sperandio to produce work reflecting the young people's perceptions of the North Swindon store.

On Monday, they will go on a factfinding mission to the store, taking photographs which will be used as research material.

Simon and Christopher were commissioned last November by Swindon Borough Council, in partnership with Asda Wal-Mart, as resident artists for the store for a period of one year. Their brief was to research and develop ideas for a major temporary artwork that would involve staff, customers and a wide range of community groups.

The artists have produced a series of works that reflect their findings, as well as drawing attention to the store and revealing their perceptions of its role in Swindon.

Simon said: "We are enjoying our time in Swindon enormously.

"Having worked all around the world, we have found a great welcome here."

The Asda Wal-Mart store, partly modelled on Wal-Mart stores in the United States, is the largest Swindon has ever seen.

Opened late last year, it dwarfs even its nearest fellow Asda Wal-Mart branch, which is near the M5 motorway in Bristol.