Marks & Spencer is believed to be close to sealing more deals with fashion brands to sell their products.

According to The Times, the high street chain will be stocking clothes from Phase Eight, Joules, Hobbs and Seasalt at its shops and online.

It follows the purchase of the Jaeger brand - part of the stricken Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group - from administration last week.

The company's Never The Same Again Programme, which chief executive Steve Rowe said would see M&S partner with "adjacent brands", has also seen agreements to stock Nobody's Child and Early Learning Centre products.

Mr Rowe has ruled out any plan to turn M&S, which has outlets in Gloucester, Cheltenham and Cirencester, into department stores.

Earlier this month, the company reported that revenue in the UK fell by 8.2 per cent to £2.52billion over the last quarter of 2020, despite a rise in food sales.

Mr Rowe said: "Near term trading remains very challenging but we are continuing to accelerate change under our Never the Same Again programme to ensure the business emerges from the pandemic in very different shape."