ONE of the country's biggest bookshop chains has provided a boost to a market town by taking over a prime retail unit.

Ottakars Books has completed the deal to take over part of the former Dressers (Stationers) Ltd's store, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire.

The move adds to speculation that the chain will also take over the other site vacated by Dressers earlier this year, in High Row, Darlington, after more than 150 years in the town.

Ottakars has been linked with the Darlington site before and the firm has confirmed an interest, although there have been no official statements from any parties.

Teesside property developers Terrace Hill bought the two sites earlier this year, and the listed Northallerton building, at 102-103 High Street, has a combined frontage of 40ft.

But the 6,300sq ft of retail space and 1,200sq ft of ancillary accommodation has been divided into two units.

Ottakars has taken over 2144sq ft of ground floor sales and 1,796sq ft of ancillary space.

An announcement is due in the near future regarding the other unit on the Northallerton site.

Robert Cansick, a director at Terrace Hill, said: "Ottakars will bring a national name to the High Street in Northallerton."

Ottakars has more than 75 stores throughout the UK.

Dressers was one of Darlington's oldest retailers but finally shut its doors in March.

Its directors announced the closure in January, because it had become "increasingly difficult" to maintain the company's style of high street retailing.

These have been from national chains linked, with names like Gap being linked with the unit.

However, Ottakars is the only chain to have confirmed an interest.

Workers appear to have been continuing a major overhaul of the store behind a boarded frontage, which has hidden the changes taking place