Bolton Marks and Spencer shuts after more than 100 years

Bosses had announced the store would close on Saturday, leaving town centre visitors hopeful they could do one last shop before its usual closing time.

To see the store closed before they had a chance to shop for the last time, made one woman tear up.

But the store was locked up in the afternoon,  with those hoping for one last shop disappointed and left waiting at the entrance of the Deansgate store.

Marks and Spencer has been a key shopping destination in Bolton for more than 100 years.

M&S first opened its Deansgate store in 1915.

Marks and Spencer

The last day of trading was listed as April 15

People stood outside, crowding the shop and peeking in to see what was happening.

Lynne Ashton said: “I come every week for food at the food hall and I cannot see why they can’t just open a food hall.

“I think it is just ridiculous because people who don’t have cars can’t get to Middlebrook.

“This is appalling that they have decided to close a store that was ideal for mums, senior citizens and anybody without transport.”

Many people were shocked to see the store had already shut.

Mrs Ashton said: “It said they were closing on April 15 at 3pm, I wasn’t even going for anything much but I just wanted necessities."

Susan Pinkney and Wendy Close are used to shopping at M&S will miss the shop.

Susan said: “I used to love coming to this store and all the people who worked there were nice and friendly, so I was upset about it.

“I have come today because I was told by staff that it would be open today because I wanted a loaf of bread.

“But it’s closed already so it’s very disappointing.”

At the time of announcing the closure, the company cited ‘changing shopping habits’ as a reason for closing amid a time when Clintons in the town centre also closed.

M&S regional manager Ben Heaps previously told The Bolton News: “Shopping habits are changing, so we’re rotating our store estate to make sure we have the right stores to offer customers a brilliant shopping experience.”

Wendy Close used to do collections for Macmillan Cancer Research and said she often got free things from the café for the charity.

She said: “When the café shut, I went up there and I was the last customer, and I wish I wasn’t the last.

“We have not anything now, unless you go to Bury but you don’t want to do that if you do not drive.”

To see the store closed before they had a chance to shop for the last time, made one lady tear up.

The lease on the site, which the authority owns as a part of its plan for Crompton Place, runs for another four years.

M&S is responsible for the rent in this period.

Although the lease runs for another four years, with the income assured from this legal agreement,

The council is in discussions with developers, but that these talks are in their earliest stages.

The search for an alternative use is 'a thorny issue', due to the risk of a breach of the lease.

The closest Marks and Spencer stores are Middlebrook Retail and Leisure Park and The Rock Shopping Centre in Bury.