LOCAL Plus – the Co-operative owned convenience store on The Parade in Liskeard – closed down on Friday and has since been boarded up.

This is the second food store in the town to close within a month of one another, the first being Eurospar on Bay Tree Hill.

For manager Jan Beech and the staff it was a sad day. As a tearful Jan and her co- workers lined up ready to leave, she said she had been very happy at the store, which was more like a corner shop with the same friendly atmosphere.

'We are really going to miss our regular customers, especially the elderly, many of whom we have come to know really well in the six years since we opened here,' she said.

Jan said the staff had been very involved in raising funds for the Co-op's charity for the year Mencap, and they wanted to thank everyone who had helped them raise £2,444 at the store.

Jan and one other member of staff have been moved to the Co-operative's supermarket in Barras Street.

A spokesperson from Co-operative head office said this week that an agent was being appointed to re-let the building as soon as possible.

Meanwhile the spokesperson for Appleby Westward, which currently still operates the lease at Eurospar, said there was no news on another firm moving into the premises at present.

Aldi, which was advertising for staff in its new store opening in Liskeard, said that project managers had still not given a date of when that would be or the location.

Sad

Liskeard mayor cllr Nick Mallard said it was a very sad sight to see such a large site on the main Parade boarded up.

'It's a big loss to have two stores like this close down but we have to remain positive,' he said.

'Liskeard is faring a lot better than some other towns in Cornwall and hats off to our shopkeepers, mostly running small privately-owned businesses, which are the core of the town. Things are set to improve.

'There is interest in the redevelopment of the Cattle Market, but with the current economic climate it is to be expected that retail investors are being cautious.'

There are currently 12 empty shops around the town centre.