Eight jobs go as Mothercare quits Shrewsbury

The struggling chain is set to close its Darwin Shopping Centre shop by Wednesday.

But as customers descend on the "Everything Must Go" sale, stock is disappearing fast so the closure could be sooner.

The store announced it would not be accepting refunds of exchanges as of Thursday.

And the shop has begun to be emptied of fixtures and fittings while stock is sold at cut prices.

Many customers expressed their dismay that the store was leaving the town and gave sympathies to the staff who had been made redundant.

Shoppers were offered vouchers of their next spend at their closest store which is now Telford.

Bosses at the Darwin Shopping Centre say the babycare chain is not renewing the lease of its store there, as part of a national strategy to relocate to out-of-town sites.

A spokesman for Mothercare was unavailable to comment.

But Kevin Lockwood, Manager of the Darwin, Pride Hill and Riverside Shopping Centres, said: "I can confirm that the Mothercare store in the Darwin Centre is due to close and our thoughts are obviously with the staff for whom this is a difficult and uncertain time.

"Naturally we are disappointed that they have decided not to renew their lease but we have seen a number of new arrivals in recent months with the opening of top fashion stores Yours and Blue Inc recently in the Darwin Centre as well as a number of independents.

"The Shrewsbury Shopping Centres have made an important contribution to the local economy over very many years, providing over 1,000 jobs and a home for some of the high street's biggest names, including M&S, River Island, Next and Hotter Shoes."