Specsavers is to fill an empty Waterstones unit in a closure-hit shopping centre.

The opticians has confirmed it is leaving its current base in Ashford's County Square in favour of the now-vacant bookshop next to Superdrug.

Waterstones closed on June 2 with just a week's notice after the firm announced plans to relocate within the town.

It remains unclear which unit the retailer will eventually take over, but it has been linked to the former Peacocks and Jobcentre units in County Square.

A Specsavers spokeswoman confirmed its new store will open in October, although an exact date is yet to be announced.

Contractors have been working in the unit in recent weeks, with a new black screening covering the windows.

A Waterstones spokesman said the company is in “ongoing discussions to find a new site in Ashford” and “looks forward to being able to confirm our new location shortly”.

Recent closures at County Square include The Body Shop, which shut in February, and Peacocks, which left a month later.

Other losses in recent years have included Debenhams, M&S, River Island and H&M.

In March, KentOnline revealed how the centre’s multimillion-pound extension could be turned into 200 homes.

County Square’s owners put the site forward in a “call for sites” planning process led by Ashford Borough Council to identify suitable building plots.

It remains unclear exactly what the scheme will involve, but Q+A Planning Ltd, which put together the plan on behalf of the site’s owners, says it is “being promoted for a mixed-use development” that would take three years to complete.

The former Jobcentre unit is not set to be included in the scheme.