BOSSES at Colchester’s Lion Walk shopping centre are in talks with four big-name retailers to take on a 20,000 sq ft shop.

Centre manager Paul Bentham will not disclose the names of the interested firms, but says the store could be occupied by the end of the year. He is hopeful a retailer will sign to take over the site in the next few weeks.

As a back-up plan, ventures company, LaSalle UK, wants permission to split the shop into two.

Mr Bentham said: “Hopefully, building work will be completed by the end of this year. We have been waiting to get a big-name retailer signed to take over the store we want to create where the O2 shop now stands.

“Four big names are talking to us, but we can’t say who because we don’t want to scare them off.

“An amendment to the plans is going before Colchester Council, so if we don’t get a big name signing it would allow us to fill the space with two shops.” LaSalle UK bought the centre from the council for £69million in 2008. It has completed the first two phases of a £5million regeneration, which has included new seating, lighting and paving. Stage three will see four retail units combined and improvements to pavements and walls outside the new shop.