The manager of Barrow Business Improvement District (BID) has responded to a viral tweet that called the town centre 'depressing.' 

A tweet which said: "Barrow has got to be a contender for the most depressing town centre in the country" with a picture of the boarded up area around the bottom of Portland Walk has garnered more than twenty thousand likes.

It also sparked a debate among Twitter users of areas across the country whose high streets have been left with empty shops.

Colin Garnett, the manager of Barrow BID, recommended cutting business rates to allow new shops to replace the chain stores that have left.

"Unfortunately Barrow has been affected massively by the closures in the high street chains," he said.

"We've lost Debenhams, River Island, and TopShop.

"It's not looking good when you think Portland Walk is not that old as a development to the High Street."

Furness Home Interiors also shut their Portland Walk premises back in January.

However Mr Garnett said Barrow was not alone.

"We are not the only town to be suffering like this. Hopefully it is the start of a transition period," he said.

When asked how Barrow town centre can be transformed, Mr Garnett said: "We are going to have a look at including more independent shops.

"Going on we'll have to reduce business rates. We have great independent businesses such as TNT Records, Delish and Special Occasions. We need to encourage more of these shops in.

"We can encourage people in through large events. It's important to bring people into the town centre. 

"We also need to have a look at getting more hospitality and leisure businesses into Barrow. We have a lot of young people in the town-but they come in for graduate placements at BAE and then leave after their placement."