ONE of Britain's biggest retailers has unveiled plans to open a food store in a Hampshire town.

Marks and Spencer said it was "interested" in opening an M&S Foodhall in New Milton and would keep the local community updated "as plans progress".

The proposed site is understood to be a former Co-op store in Station Road - the town's main shopping street.

Smith Bradbeer & Co, which operates a department store on the opposite side of the road, bought the Co-op building in 2017, about 18 months after the supermarket ceased trading.

Bradbeers is reported to have agreed terms with a "leading national retailer" that wants to occupy the site.

An M&S spokesperson said: "We are interested in bringing an M&S Foodhall to New Milton and will keep the local community updated as plans progress.”

It comes four years after M&S was previously reported to be interested in taking over the old Co-op building.

The move was welcomed by civic chiefs and business leaders, who said an M&S branch would give the local economy a huge boost.

Speaking at the time the mayor, Cllr David Hawkins, said he hoped the opening of an M&S store would attract a large number of extra shoppers to the town.

He added: "I’m highly delighted - this is exactly what New Milton would like."

Suna King, the town council’s town development manager, added: “A large proportion of people would be highly delighted if M&S came to New Milton.”

M&S already has stores at Lymington and Christchurch.

The company’s Lymington branch is a former Waitrose outlet in St Thomas Street. Previous proposals to turn it into an Argos sparked a storm of protest. with critics claiming the scheme would “lower the tone”.

Earlier this year plans to build at Aldi supermarket in New Milton were approved - just months after a similar scheme was rejected.

District councillors went against the advice of planning officers and approved the latest application to redevelop part of the Solent Industrial Estate at Caird Avenue.

Planning officers said the former Co-op store in New Milton was a better site for the new supermarket but Aldi claimed it lacked suitable parking.