SHOPPERS returned to Cwmbran and Pontypool town centres yesterday as non-essential retailers were allowed to reopen for the first time since before Christmas. In Cwmbran, queues for Primark spanned hundreds of metres, starting along the front and side of the store, into the car park, along the edge of the car park and doubling back to the car park entrance. There were also queues - although nowhere near as extreme - outside JD, Sports Direct, Clarks, and River Island as shoppers looked to pick up items deemed non-essential during the winter lockdown. Christie Curran, from The Entertainer, in Cwmbran, said: “It’s super exciting having all our regular customers back and seeing all the children back.