PERCY Pig joined the celebrations when M&S food returned to Bournemouth town centre.

The character, based on the company’s Percy Pig gummy sweets, welcomed customers to the new M&S Food To Go outlet, situated inside WHSmith in Old Christchurch Road.

Shoppers were delighted to see the return of the popular food range to the town centre, more than a year after the main M&S store in Commercial Road closed its doors.

Bournemouth has been chosen for the first outlet inside a WHSmith store and, if successful, the arrangement could be rolled out across the country.

WHSmith Group Commercial Development Director Ian Sanders said: “This is the first of its kind. We were looking at towns and cities where M&S have closed their stores.

“We wanted to keep a lunch time offering and Bournemouth is particularly suitable because the store is located so close to the gardens and the beach.”

Store manager Neil Overett added: “With WHSmith, M&S and the Post Office all under one roof it will bring in a lot more customers. We are serving different needs but all in one location.”

The Food To Go outlet offers a wide range of sandwiches, salads, fruit and drinks as well as pastries, sweets and cakes.

Shopper Sophie Ryder said: “I’m glad that M&S is back in the town centre - Bournemouth didn’t feel right without it.

“I didn’t miss the clothes but I missed the food.”

Keith Price added: “I like the sandwiches better than any others you can buy in the town so I’ll be coming here from now on. I just hope it doesn’t have a bad effect on other shops.”

Vouchers offering 10 per cent off will be handed to customers during the first week of opening.

And Percy Pig will be making a return visit to the store on Saturday May 11 to give people a chance to bring children along to meet him.

He will be there between 10am and 5pm.

The former M&S store, which closed in April 2018, remains empty and no plans have been announced for its future.

It had been a fixture in the town since 1930.

M&S selected the branch as one of 14 to close across the UK, as part of a cost-cutting drive.

Nationwide profits at the iconic retailer had fallen by almost two thirds in the previous year, following a business overhaul.

Declines in clothing sales and higher costs from opening new food stores were partly to blame for the fall.

Marks and Spencer has a number of outlets in the Bournemouth area including a food store in Westbourne and a major store at the Castlepoint shopping centre.

The company already works alongside WHSmith to offer Food To Go outlets in travel hubs, workplaces and hospitals around the country.