THORNTONS in Barrow town centre has announced that it will not reopen and that they will have to ‘consider redundancy’.

The cafe store has been based on Portland Walk since 2008 in the heart of the town centre.

Councillor Ann Thomson, leader of Barrow Borough Council, said: “It is always sad to see a business leaving our high street in Barrow, particularly when it means jobs are under threat of redundancy. My heart goes out to any staff affected.

“These are unprecedented times for businesses and we hope this is the only one to leave our town as lockdown eases and shops reopen.

“Our town centre plays a crucial role in our community and its health and future is something we remain focused on as a council going forwards.”

Back in April 2017 the store was potentially closing, but the company reversed their decision and remained open.

A spokesman from Thorntons said: “We are committed to transforming and growing the much loved and iconic Thorntons brand.

“To be able to do this, we must ensure we have a store estate that meets changing consumer needs and operates as a commercially viable retail business.

“As a business that has been part of the UK retail footprint for over a century, we continuously review our store estate, store locations and infrastructure to ensure they are fit for current and future customers.

“This includes reviewing a variety of different store variables such as formats, locations, refurbishments, and where necessary closures.

“As a result of our most recent review, we have taken the difficult decision not to re-open the Thorntons in Barrow-In-Furness.

“This decision was not taken lightly and we understand that this will be an uncertain and concerning time for our colleagues.

“We will support all of our colleagues who are affected through individual consultations.

“We accept that we will have to consider redundancy and here we will continue to support with enhanced redundancy.”