CALLS have been made to start supporting independent town centre businesses after nearly a dozen shops closed their doors in the past year.

Marks and Spencer, Brighthouse, Carphone Warehouse, Thorntons, River Island and Topshop have all closed their doors to Barrow town centre shoppers in the past six months.

M&S was the first to announce its closure last year after it was named as one of a 100 stores earmarked for closure by 2022.

The store was initially set to close in November 2019 to coincide with the opening of a new M&S foodhall at the Beehive site in Ulverston.

A number of other stores have closed, but MP Simon Fell is hopeful that money can be secured from the Government's high street fund to help improve the high street.

And he has called on people to support the independent businesses as the big chain names depart.

He said: "Barrow has a thriving independent shop scene and a covered market that carries everything.

“It’s time to support these businesses.

“And I hope that if we can secure the investment from government that we’ve asked for in the Towns Deal and Future High Street Fund that we’ll see real improvements to the existing high street, making it easier to open new and innovative businesses."

Carphone Warehouse shut all 531 of its stand alone shops in April, including in Workington, Whitehaven, Carlisle, Barrow and Penrith, as well as concessions within Currys across the country.

This was followed by fashion traders, Topshop and River Island, who both had stores in Portland Walk.

Both retailers traded for the last time in the week before lockdown restrictions were imposed by the Government at the end of May.

The former buildings have lay vacant since closing three months ago.

The closures follow the shutting of Thorntons on Dalton Road which announced it would not be reopening when lockdown retail restrictions were lifted.

The store officially shut its doors in June.

Rent-to-own retailer, Brighthouse, later shut its site in Dalton Road after sinking into administration in March. Independent traders, Lakeland Dry Cleaners and Barnhouse Interiors, also bid their farewell to the town centre. The dry cleaners closed its doors in August last year whilst the family-run gift shop, Barnhouse Interiors, announced it would move its business entirely online. Job cuts were also made at Debenhams Cafe in June after the retail giant announced it would close its cafe in Barrow.