A RETAIL giant has confirmed that is set to close one of its Hampshire stores, putting up to 60 peoples jobs at risk. 

Marks and Spencer in Fareham Shopping Centre will close on April 21 after more than 40 years of trading.

It follows a consultation with staff and colleagues which started three weeks ago and is currently ongoing. 

The closure is part of a national programme of closures which bosses say is part of M&S’s programme to modernise its UK store estate to better meet the changing needs of customers.

Among the others set for the chop are Portsmouth and Bournemouth which is due to close in April and Andover.

Gordon Scott, head of region for Home Counties South, added: "Proposing to close the Fareham store has been a difficult but necessary decision."

An M&S spokesperson added: "Over the past few weeks we’ve been consulting with our colleagues, and following this rigorous process, the decision has been made to close the store on 21st April.

“We’d like to thank our customers for the feedback they’ve given our team over the last few weeks.

"We hope to see lots of them continuing to shop at our other stores in the area as well as on M&S.com.”

The spokesperson added that some staff could be redeployed to other stores will others would consider redundancy. 

Councillor Sean Woodward, leader of Fareham Borough Council, said: "I am very sad to hear that the M&S store in Fareham Shopping Centre is to close after generations serving Fareham people.

"A sad fact that our love for internet shopping is remodelling our high streets.

"For the M&S staff in the shop, it is a very sad day especially since I know some of them have worked in there for over 30 years."

Meanwhile, Fareham MP Suella Fernandes appealed M&S chairman Archie Norman to reconsider the company’s plans shut its Fareham branch but he still insisted that the closure would go ahead.

M&S’s decision is a further blow to the shopping centre which lost another big name - BHS - in 2016.

Following the closure, the chain will need to find another company to sublet the store as the firm’s lease lasts for another 82 years.

Councillor Woodward added: "I have never known a store to have such a long lease and they would need to find another store to fill the space as they are liable for rent, service charge and business rates until 2100.

"Fareham Shopping Centre say have a lot of interested parties to come into the shopping centre after speaking to them."

In response, M&S confirmed that they were marketing the property.

The store has been in the shopping centre opened in 1976.