Jd Sports has put two Northumberland Street leaseholds, ending in 2012 and 2014, on the market, it has emerged.

The leases are for two stores adjacent to Marks & Spencer's Newcastle city centre store in Northumberland Street.

They were inherited by JD Sports' parent John David Group as part of its takeover of First Sport from Blacks Leisure in 2002.

The leases are part of a package of 43 the retailer instructed London-based agents Churston Heard and Cushman & Wakefield Healy & Baker to put on the market a year ago.

The package also includes leaseholds for stores in Carlisle and Gateshead's MetroCentre.

The retailer struggled to digest the purchase, blaming the "cannibalisation" of sales from its own stores by nearby First Sport stores in 60 locations, including Northumberland Street.

CWHB agent Chris Lea said the leases were "part of a disposal of a package of leases that the group has been trying to get rid of for the last 18 months."

The stores at 91-93 Northumberland Street include a 4,000 sq ft store under the First Sport brand, split between ground and basement levels, let until 2014, and a 2,000 sq ft ground floor store next door, occupied by First Sport's Active Venture clothing brand, let until 2012.

The store freeholds are owned by Marks & Spencer and insurance company Legal & General.

The 2,000 sq ft store in the MetroCentre is let until 2012.

The leaseholds are among a number of opportunities that have arisen in the heart of Newcastle city centre in the past few weeks.

Churston Heard is expected to call for best bids for Standard Life's freehold of 46-48 Northumberland Street in the next few weeks, which was placed on the market this month with a price tag of £13m.

It is believed to have attracted strong interest from institutional as well as overseas and local buyers.