PART of a town centre sealed off after a shop collapsed is unlikely to reopen until next week.

A section of Newgate Street, in Bishop Auckland, had to be closed when the rear wall and three floors of the Mothercare store collapsed at 2pm on Thursday.

It will be closed throughout the weekend and will remain cordoned off, with 24-hour security on site, until experts are sure it is safe to reopen.

Staff and shoppers escaped the Mothercare building unhurt when they heard a loud rumble moments before the incident.

Structural engineers and utility companies were called in to secure the back of the premises and ensure there was no immediate danger.

Yesterday, the task of finding out what happened and assessing the extent of the damage began.

Several nearby properties were evacuated soon after the incident.

Phones4U and WH Smith, which are next to Mothercare, Northern Rock, Topshop and Topman were shut all day, as well as Thorntons, Greggs and Scope on the opposite side of the street.

Ian Thompson, Durham County Council’s corporate director for economic development, said: “As owners of this building and the two buildings either side, we are currently working alongside Mothercare, utility services and the police to ensure public safety.

“It is too early to say how long the road will have to be closed. We have structural engineers on site and investigations are ongoing as to the cause of the collapse. We will work to reopen the road as quickly as possible and try to keep people well informed.”

Mothercare has been a tenant in the building for more than 30 years.

Durham county councillor for the town, Sam Zair, who runs a cafe in Fore Bondgate, said: “We really feel for the retailers who have been forced to shut because of this, but public safety is paramount.

“This could have been much much worse. If the front of the building had collapsed, people could easily have been badly hurt.

“In the meantime I would remind people that Bishop Auckland is open for business and that apart from the closed section, the rest of town, including the Saturday market, can be accessed via the Newgate Centre and Fore Bondgate.”