NEARLY 750 Hampshire workers at one of the most famous stores in the UK are in line for a cash windfall.

As reported in later editions of the Daily Echo yesterday, retail giant Marks & Spencer confirmed bonuses for its 65,000 staff across the country.

Good results for the financial year mean lucky employees will share in a £43m pool.

Staff at Hedge End and WestQuay in Southampton could be in line for hundreds of pounds extra on top of their normal salaries.

However, Marks & Spencer say it is impossible to give a breakdown of figures because the financial rewards are based on each individual store's trading performance, which is confidential.

There are 564 people currently employed at Hedge End and 182 at WestQuay.

Group profits before tax rose by 11.5 per cent and earning per share rose by 39.6 per cent over the year. The success is being put down to a revamp of the store's womenswear range.

The retailer has also hit the headlines with its plans for a virtual sales assistant and the rolling out of self-service tills.

Dame Stella Rimington, chairman of the store's remuneration company, said: "We are pleased that we are able to reward staff across the company on the basis of our strong results."