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Poundland has announced it will be expanding across Somerset and Wiltshire before Christmas.

The retailer confirmed the future opening of shops in Swindon, Wells and Midsomer Norton.

This week, new stores were opened in Portishead, Gloucester and Crewkerne.

This movement has allowed Poundland to offer jobs to staff from Wilko after the retailer collapsed.

Austin Cooke, Poundland's managing director said nationally they would have opened 86 stores in 70 days: "No-one should underestimate the effort and energy that our teams have put into delivering that achievement."

All new Poundland stores – both Wilko and non-Wilko units – will feature Pepco family clothing which has been shipped to 560 of Poundland’s existing UK and Ireland stores.

Pepco Group, which owns Poundland in the UK, announced in September it would convert Wilko stores to the Poundland brand.

It comes as Wilko's chair Lisa Wilkinson said she was 'devastated' over the firm's failure.

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