DORSET has escaped the latest round of Marks and Spencer store closures, less than a year after the chain shut its Bournemouth branch.

More than 1,000 jobs at Marks & Spencer are at risk after the retailer revealed details of its latest cuts.

As part of an accelerated closure programme, M&S is on track to axe more than 100 stores.

Of these, 30 have already closed, including the branch in Bournemouth’s Commercial Road, which shut last April.

The 17 closures announced yesterday are: Ashford, Barrow, Bedford, Boston, Buxton, Cwmbran, Deal, Felixstowe, Huddersfield, Hull, Junction One Antrim Outlet, Luton Arndale, Newark, Northwich, Rotherham, Sutton Coldfield and Weston Super Mare.

Of the 1,891 staff affected by closures so far, M&S said 80 per cent had been redeployed.

Sacha Berendji, retail, operations and property director at Marks & Spencer, said: "We're continuing to transform M&S with pace and as part of this we are making good progress with our plans to close over 100 stores – radically reshaping our store estate to become more relevant for our customers.”