A DEPARTMENT store has said it is "still currently committed to Salisbury", amid rumours it had decided to pull out of opening a new site in the city.

The Journal revealed in November of last year that the former Debenhams site, which has now been lying empty for more than a year, could be turned into a Bradbeers department store.

The prominent site on Blue Boar Row has been vacant since Debenhams pulled out of the city after failing to reach “appropriate terms” with the landlord back in April 2020.

There have been rumours circulating on social media in recent months that Bradbeers had now decided to pull out of opening a store in the vacant shop, which has now been boarded up for some time.

Bradbeers is a family run chain of department and furniture stores with branches in New Milton, Hedge End and Romsey.

The director of Bradbeers, Greg Davies, told the Journal that they "currently remain committed to Salisbury", but that plans have had to be adjusted.

Mr Davies said: "The unprecedented events of the past eighteen months have led to a challenging time for the retail sector.

"As an independent business, we have faced these challenges with the resolve that has been in place since we started trading in 1837.

"We currently remain committed to Salisbury and, although our plans have inevitably had to be adjusted due to the current economic climate, we hope to be in a position to open a Bradbeers Department Store by the end of 2022".