Marks & Spencer bosses say the popular retailer is still committed to its Leicestershire clothing design and development centre after it emerged the site's buying team had relocated to the Cotswolds.The Cossington complex will still continue to be used for design and technical development for the retail giant's Per Una range, as well as a central meeting site for the business.

A spokesman confirmed the 10-person buying team had relocated to Draycott a few weeks ago, leaving a workforce of 35.

A spokesman said: "There are no plans at the moment to do anything else with the site."

He said it was decided to move the jobs to Draycott because that was where the rest of the buying team was. "Bringing them all under one roof makes sense," he said.

Per Una was created in 2001 by fashion retail legend George Davies, the founder of Enderby-based Next and George at Asda, of Lutterworth. He sold the label to M&S for £125 million in 2004. Per Una now employs 120 people in Draycott, as well as 15 staff in London.

The Per Una brand makes up around 20 per cent of all women's clothing sold at M&S.

Source: Leicester Mercury

More news in Leicestershire