WE asked the shoppers in Darlington for their reaction to the potential demise of the M&S town centre store:

The Northern Echo: Denise Blewitt (correct), 58, of Darlington said: “It would be such a terrible shame if Marks & Spencer closed. I try and support all the Darlington shops like Binns, I go there quite a lot. I think they are all closing because online shopping has taken

Denise Blewitt, 58, of Darlington said: “It would be such a terrible shame if Marks & Spencer closed. I try and support all the Darlington shops like Binns, I go there quite a lot. I think they are all closing because online shopping is taking over.”

The Northern Echo: Thomas Charge, 22, of Gainford said: “If the shop closes there will be another big empty unit to fill in the town. I don’t think there will be any shops big enough to fill that outlet. I don’t shop in Darlington half as much as I used to because the

Thomas Charge, 22, of Gainford said: “If the shop closes there will be another big empty unit to fill in the town. I don’t think there will be any shops big enough to fill that outlet. I don’t shop in Darlington half as much as I used to because there’s nothing in the town anymore, there’s so many big empty buildings.”

The Northern Echo: Barbara Sidgwick (correct), 58, of Liverton Mines said: “The town centre seems dead, I can remember coming to Darlington years ago when it used to be thriving. I think it would be disgraceful if Marks & Spencer closed because the town already seems mise

Barbara Sidgwick, 58, of Liverton Mines said: “The town centre seems dead, I can remember coming to Darlington years ago when it used to be thriving. I think it would be disgraceful if Marks & Spencer closed because the town already seems miserable.”

The Northern Echo: Brian Hunter, 75, of Darlington said: “I like the town and wouldn’t like to see any of the shops close. I know there was talk of House of Fraser closing which would be awful as it’s been there years. It would be good if people would come and use the

Brian Hunter, 75, of Darlington said: “I like the town and wouldn’t like to see any of the shops close. I know there was talk of House of Fraser closing which would be awful as it’s been there for so many years. It would be good if people would come to Darlington and use the shops because there’s Wilko and Boyes and a good bookshop.”

The Northern Echo: Amanda Hall, 47, of Northallerton said: “It’s really sad, I think it will massively affect Darlo definitely. It will be a shame if it closes because It’s so popular. There’s been so many shops close already especially in the Cornmill.

Amanda Hall, 47, of Northallerton said: “It’s really sad, I think it will massively affect Darlo definitely. It will be a shame if it closes because It’s so popular. There’s been so many shops close already especially in the Cornmill Shopping Centre.