THE opening of Ulverston's new Marks & Spencer store has been delayed because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The company's store on Dalton Road in Barrow was initially set to close in November 2019 to coincide with the opening of a new M&S foodhall at the Beehive site in Ulverston.

However, due to construction delays the completion date was then put back, with bosses stating the opening would be in spring 2020.

In October a revised opening date of March 2020 had been confirmed but this was pushed further back. The opening date was then scheduled for Wednesday May 6 due to delays in construction of the foodhall.

Now, as a result of the coronavirus lockdown, and with construction of the foodhall suspended, the Barrow store is not expected to close until at least June.

Simon Layton, M&S Head of Region for the North West, said: “We appreciate that some people were hoping for an earlier opening date in Ulverston, but we believe this is the best decision to ensure there is no disruption to our service for local residents."