Another major supermarket company has confirmed it is set to open in Ashford.

Marks & Spencer will open a Foodhall store at the Warren Retail Park off Simone Weil Avenue, between the Staples and Poundland stores.

The site will bring more competition to the nearby Sainsbury’s and Waitrose shops, which are both within a half a mile.

The announcement of the new store follows the high level of supermarket interest in Ashford, with Aldi submitting a planning application last month for a supermarket near the town centre, and the Co-op set to build a new food shop in Godinton Park.

Morrisons had been linked with a move to the empty Victoria Road site, but abandoned its plans in 2013, leaving the way clear for Aldi to build a store there instead.

The 7,000 sq ft store will become M&S's third shop in the town.

The company already has a clothing store at the Designer Outlet as well as its main shop in the town centre, which is part of the County Square shopping centre and opens into the High Street.

The Warren Retail Park site used to be occupied by beds company Dreams, which has moved to the Ashford Retail Park, off the A2070 in Sevington.

M&S is not the first retailer to have more than one premises in the town, with Tesco currently operating from four sites, Poundland trading from three sites, and the Co-op from also from three.

A Marks & Spencer spokesman said: “We’re looking forward to bringing a new Marks & Spencer Foodhall to the Warren Retail Park in Ashford.

“We will update the community as plans for the store progress.”

The company has however remained tight-lipped about when the new store could open, despite putting in a planning application to put up its company logos and illuminated signs.

There was also no comment from M&S in response to whether the decision to open the new store could see the Foodhall at the town centre shop being closed.