High street retailer Marks & Spencer has confirmed it will close one of its Black Country stores this summer.

The company has announced its shop in Walsall town centre will shut on August 11 although it is not clear at this stage how many of its 94 members of staff will be made redundant.

A proposal to shut the shop in The Saddlers Centre was unveiled in May as part of wider plans to close 14 stores nationwide as the retailer cuts down on its portfolio of high street shops.

The company will continue to operate its others stores in the West Midlands including in Birmingham city centre, Longbridge, Wolverhampton and Sutton Coldfield among others.

Andy Barber, head of the West Midlands at Marks & Spencer, said: "Proposing to close the store was a difficult decision.

"Over the past few weeks, we've been consulting with our colleagues and, following this rigorous process, the decision has been made to close the store on Saturday August 11.

"We'd like to thank our customers for the feedback they've given us and we hope to see lots of them continuing to shop with us at our other stores in the area."

The move is part of a much larger reduction in its portfolio of shops across the UK which was announced in November 2016.

The plan is to close 100 stores by 2022, including 21 that have already shut and 14 stores announced in May.

Walsall's new council leader Mike Bird said last month that he hoped to persuade M&S to stay open in the town, especially as the chain has ten years left to run on its lease.

Walsall Council spent £13.8 million buying The Saddlers Centre last summer and, despite making losses in recent years, hoped the mall would turn a profit for the authority in five years.