6:30pm Thursday 18th March 2010
By David Watkinson
THE recession has ‘ripped the heart out of Accrington town centre’, according to council bosses.
Today it was announced that nine staff at Accrington’s Ethel Austin store would lose their jobs as administrators said the shop would close within weeks.
It is the latest blow for the town centre which has more than 10 empty units and many more than that are up to be let.
Hyndburn Council leader Peter Britcliffe said the closure showed how the recession had left Accrington ‘mauled’.
He said: “As I go through the Arndale Centre now I feel so sad.
"This news just adds to the economic disaster in Hyndburn.
"It is dreadful news for the staff and also for the town.
"We have been badly mauled by this recession.”
Arndale Centre owners Protego Real Estate said the 'tide was turning' with lease holders found for three empty units at the centre.
But in the meantime, empty units at the centre are highly visible with the closures of stores such as Price Less Shoes, Stationery Box, Hampsons, Cryers Sound and Vision, Mark One, Rayman Gifts and the Officers Club.
Children’s wear store Adams, which closed earlier in the year, is also still empty.
Ethel Austin is one of the key tenants in the Arndale Centre and has been based in the town for decades.
Today staff were told that the shop will close in around two weeks.
One worker, a single mum, said all staff were in shock.
The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “It is terrible news.
"We genuinely thought the store had a future.
"We’ve got a big delivery which is due to arrive on Friday so we thought we were doing ok.
“When we go there are going to be real problems for Accrington.
"If many more shops go there won’t even be a shopping centre any more.
“There are lots of empty shops in the town and we are one of the biggest.”
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