‘Squatters’ reported at former Bolton Marks and Spencer

The historic store on Deansgate closed in April 2023 to widespread disappointment and has been empty ever since.

Nearly three years later, on Friday, February 6, a passerby reported that he had seen what appeared to be squatters occupying the building.

He said: “I was walking towards the Market Place from the Three Crowns and I heard a bang at the old M&S building.

“I thought, ‘what the hell was that?’ I looked in the alleyway, and I saw what looked like two people, a male and a female, leaving the building, and it looked like they were closing the door behind them.”

The former Marks and Spencer building is currently empty (Image: Newsquest)

The man said that he then reported the alleged squatters to Bolton Council, which owns the building, at the One Stop Shop at the town hall later that same afternoon.

The Bolton News went to visit the site and observed a woman appearing to let herself back into the empty building through the doors on the Deansgate side.

Bolton Council bought the building for £15M back in 2019 as part of its wider £1billion town centre masterplan.

The building is found on Deansgate in the town centre (Image: Newsquest)

In 2023, Marks and Spencer said changing shopping habits had been behind its decision to close the Bolton branch, but the move prompted widespread concerns about the town’s high street.

The future of the building and its role in the wider regeneration of the town has been a much-debated topic since then.

But in November last year, Marks and Spencer said the Bolton North East area was one of 500 target locations around the country where it was looking at opening new food stores.

The company has also maintained a branch at Middlebrook Retail Park, which it is looking to expand into a flagship outlet.

A Bolton Council spokesperson said: “Security staff have done a check of the building and found no evidence that anyone has accessed internally.

“However, we are aware that on occasion, there have been individuals residing behind the hoarding.

“Our next step will be to arrange a joint site visit with the Homeless Welfare Team and Greater Manchester Police so that we can engage with the individuals, offer appropriate support, and safely move them from the area.

“Once this has been completed, the site can be secured.”

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police confirmed that this was a civil matter and in the hands of the council.