BAE Systems has announced it has bought the former McBride's site in Barrow.

The vacant industrial site will be used to support the delivery of its submarine programmes.

Bosses from household cleaning products firm McBride announced the closure of the site in 2019.

Steve Cole, BAE Systems' Chief Infrastructure Officer, said: "I am particularly pleased to be able to secure a local facility that can support the needs of the submarine programmes, assisting Barrow's economy and ensuring long-term use of some key facilities in the area.

"Adding this to our estate will complement the ongoing redevelopment of our facilities and we're now looking forward to moving in over the coming weeks."

BAE Systems is delivering both the Astute and Dreadnought classes of submarine to the Royal Navy.

Four Astute class submarines have already been delivered to the Royal Navy, the fifth was launched earlier this year and the remaining two are at an advanced stage of construction.

Build is also well underway on the first two Dreadnought class submarines.

Last month, the Government announced it had awarded BAE Systems an £85m contract to begin early phase concept design work on a new class of nuclear powered submarine to eventually replace the Astute class.