Shops complex to open in October

The centre is expected to attract shoppers from beyond Derby

The £340m extension to Derby's main shopping centre is to open several months ahead of schedule.

The former Eagle Centre, which has been renamed Westfield Derby, is to open on 9 October - with more than 100 shops on a site the size of 17 football pitches.

An estimated 2,850 permanent jobs will be created and there will be more than 2,000 additional car parking spaces on the roof.

A 12-screen cinema with 2,600 seats will open in spring 2008.

John Forkin from Marketing Derby, which aims to raise the city's profile to attract new investment into Derby, said it was good to have a date for the opening.

"It will be an important date in Derby's history because suddenly there's a major new shopping facility which is going to attract people not just from the Derby area but also from beyond.

"I understand it's three to six months ahead of schedule, which is almost unheard of for a major scheme like that."