A TOWN centre shop will be closing its doors after deciding not to renew its lease.

The Clarks shoe shop in Darlington will cease trading in mid-March.

The company has decided not to renew the lease at the premises, which is part of the Cornmill Shopping Centre.

A spokesperson for Clarks said: “At Clarks, we continually review all of our stores to ensure that they are the right size and located in the right areas in order to provide the best possible offering and environment to our customers.

"After careful consideration, we have decided not to renew the lease on our Darlington store, which will cease trading in mid-March.

“We have a strong duty of care to our employees and we are doing everything we can to minimise the impact on our colleagues. We are consulting with all team members and will ensure they are fully supported as our store’s trading period comes to an end.

“Customers can continue to shop from our full range of products online and at our nearby stores in Teesside Park and Bishop Auckland.”