RETAILER Marks and Spencer has apologised for the state of its Swindon town centre store. 

The Regent Street and Brunel Shopping Centre store has been beleaguered with ongoing maintenance issues that have drawn the ire of members of the public. 

Angela Atkinson, author, freelance editor and Born Again Swindoinian blogger, has been bringing attention to issues, with both an escalator and the ladies' toilets being out of order.

Swindon Advertiser: The issues include a broken escalator and out of order toiletsThe issues include a broken escalator and out of order toilets (Image: Angela Atkinson)

She first raised these maintenance issues, which had been ongoing for weeks beforehand, in February with a tweet to the chain which said that the "whole store was being held together with sticky tape and blue tack".

She added: "Are you trying to deter shoppers?!"

Angela returned to the store several times following this initial concern and re-raised the issues with the escalator and women's toilets again on March 21, April 3 and April 22. 

Her latest Tweet said: "Swindon escalator remains out of action. It must be 3 months now. What happens if the lift goes? That’ll be your wheel-chair using customers screwed. Given that the cafe & loos are on the top floor. I’ve reported this x 3 now."

A Marks and Spencer spokesperson apologised for the ongoing issues. 

“We are working hard to source the necessary parts so we can carry out repairs to our in-store escalator as soon as possible and we will keep customers informed when we have a confirmed repair date.

"We are sorry for any inconvenience that this has caused and would reassure customers in the meantime that we have a lift in store and additional escalators next to the store in the Brunel Shopping Centre.

“We are grateful to our customers for their patience whilst our maintenance team is on-site today and tomorrow carrying out repairs to vandalism in our customer toilets.”