FASHION giant H&M is set to move into Blackburn’s new shopping centre.

The retail chain is poised to take a new two-storey shop in the £66million Lord Square complex, next door to the flagship Primark store.

The “fantastic” news has been welcomed by traders, who say it will help keep shoppers in the town centre, and fight back against out-of-town retail parks.

The 18,000 square foot H&M store, which will sell both men’s and women’s clothes, will be in the “Lord Street mall” area, which will face out onto Church Street.

Lorraine Jones, general manager of The Mall Blackburn, said: “It’s a new name to the town, and it fits with our market of people aged 24 and above.”

Lease details between H&M and The Mall are being finalised. Currently the nearest H&M store to Blackburn is in Preston.

Jeweller Phil Ainsworth, of Blackburn Town Centre Partnership, said: “It’s brilliant news.

"I think it’s fantastic that we are getting new names into the town centre, and H&M is very well known to the public.

“This brings a different outlook to the shopping centre.

“We need to make sure those people who are going out of town come into Blackburn instead, and names like H&M can only help that.”

Primark's new Blackburn store is due to open at the end of July, with H&M likely to follow sometime in August.