M&S closure 'devastating' for shopping centre

The permanent closure of the Marks and Spencer (M&S) store in Thurmaston has been described as "devastating" by a local councillor.

Much of Thurmaston Shopping Centre, in Barkby Thorpe Lane, was demolished following a fire, which started at about 04:00 BST on 20 June.

M&S has said it hopes to open a new store in the area in the future but has not confirmed any details yet.

Brenda Seaton, a parish, district and county councillor for the village, said the closure was "very disappointing news".

Leicestershire Police said three 13-year-old boys, who were arrested on suspicion of arson, remained on bail.

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service launched an investigation after more than 40 firefighters were called to the blaze.

Seaton said the store was loved by the community and convenient for shoppers.

She added it was a prestigious shop to have in the shopping centre and believed that it drew other shops to the site.

Laura Arnold, regional manager at M&S, confirmed the store would close after the company had assessed the extent of the damage.

The company paid tribute to staff who had worked at the shop during its 16 years at the centre and stated that it would be working with its other stores in the county to redeploy workers where possible.

Seaton described those who worked at the former food store as "part of the Thurmaston family".

She said: "They were nearly all local people that we knew and they'd been there for years."

The damaged section of the shopping centre also had a Greggs, Mountain Warehouse, cardfactory and Claire's.

Those shops remain closed and have yet to confirm if they intend to reopen.

Seaton said: "We need to start building confidence back up into Thurmaston Shopping Centre.

"We've lost other shops. I hope that the loss of M&S doesn't mean that [other closed stores] are not coming back.

"I was actually hoping that M&S would come back bigger and brighter. I hoped that they'd take on more space and sell clothes.

"One blow was when they stopped doing their cafe.

"Before that, it was the place to go to for morning coffees and to get to know everyone so it's been devastating.

"It wasn't just a food shop, it was a check-in point as well for purchases of clothes and any other goods."

M&S has asked customers to use its stores at Fosse Park, Oadby and Loughborough for now.

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