The transformation of a former John Lewis department store into a home and garden outlet is almost complete.

Signs for The Range have now gone up at the retail unit at Drovers Roundabout in Ashford which was vacated by its former occupant after it opted not to reopen post-lockdown.

The new store is due to open its doors to the public on March 18, and the building will also be home to a mini Iceland and an Iceland Cafe.

Once open, it will join six other stores in Kent including Canterbury which also has an Iceland Cafe upstairs.

The store, which sells mid-price home and garden products, will join 160 others nationwide and will stock around 65,000 product lines.

It is expected the business will eventually create 95 part-time and full-time positions.

The homeware giant wants to turn a section of the car park into a garden centre as part of a £1.2m investment in the two-storey unit and plans have been submitted to Ashford Borough Council.

If approved, the 464 sq m outdoor garden centre will reduce the size of the car park by 16 spaces and be surrounded by a three-metre high fence.

Bosses also want to construct two cold stores in the rear service yard which will be used to house frozen and chilled goods.