The keys have been handed over to Marks & Spencer to fit out the region's largest store ahead of its opening later this year.

Regeneration group St Modwen has built the 150,000 sq ft store as part of its town centre development in Longbridge.

The two-storey M&S, which will sell food, clothing and beauty products and have a café, is due to open in time for Christmas and will employ around 350 staff.

A six floor, multi-storey car park containing 1,200 spaces and a surface car park with a further 500 are also being built.

In addition to the M&S, there will be a further 45,000 sq ft of retail space whose occupants are due to be revealed in the next few weeks.

A separate, further phase including a cinema, gym, restaurant and café, is planned for 2016 while a Sainsbury's, Premier Inn and Costa Coffee all opened during 2013.

The work is part of the wider, £1 billion regeneration of Longbridge following the collapse of MG Rover in 2005, which also includes new houses and office accommodation (see gallery below).

Steve Prosser, St Modwen's Midlands regional director, said: "With around 30,000 shoppers already visiting Longbridge town centre each week, the presence of M&S will further boost the retail offering.

"With its extensive offering of fashion, food and homeware and the creation of hundreds of jobs for local people, it is a considerable addition to the town centre.

"We are particularly pleased M&S will be trading in time for the Christmas shopping period, adding to the existing variety of stores and food outlets available to our shoppers.

"M&S, together with the range of other units, will create a real buzz around what is already anticipated to be the best trading period for a long long time."

Construction group Morgan Sindall was lead contractor on the development.