Shoppers in Great Yarmouth have expressed their disappointment after it was announced Debenhams would be closing in the town.

On Friday the chain announced the closure of 22 stores across the UK next year as part of a major restructuring.

Ron and Tracey Cox, from Great Yarmouth, described the news of the store in Market Gates closing as a big shame.

Mr Cox said: “It will be a big loss for the town because it sells quality clothing.

“We shopped there quite a bit so it is disappointing.”

A spokesman for owners of Market Gates, Ellandi, said it had been anticipating the closure of the store for some time and had been working on alternative plans.

Stores in Norwich and King’s Lynn are to remain open but those in Canterbury, Guildford, Wolverhampton and Kirkcaldy will also close with up to 1200 jobs lost nationwide.

Town centre manager for Great Yarmouth Jonathan Newman, said he was disappointed by the news.

“The recent struggle of the Debenhams department store chain with falling sales and record losses has been widely covered in the national news and whilst it seemed inevitable that this would result in store closures it is obviously disappointing to learn that Great Yarmouth is one of the 22 locations earmarked for closure next year,” he said.

“My thoughts are with the staff at Great Yarmouth Debenhams who, through no fault of their own, now face an uncertain future following this announcement.”