IT’S sad to hear that M&S have decided to close their store in Silver Street, Durham (Echo, Feb 1).

In recent years the clothes range has reduced substantially, but the food hall still seems very popular.

It is used by a lot of people who will find in inconvenient or difficult to travel up to the Arnison Centre, the other Durham store.

It will be yet another empty shop in the city centre, which is looking sadder every day.

It is all well and good re-developing The Gates with all of the restaurants, new shops, cinema etc but the focus should maybe have been on making sure the existing properties are occupied first.

Who will move into the M&S store? A very large coffee shop, charity shop, or why don’t they convert it into student flats?

Tourists must be so underwhelmed after a visit to Durham.

John Watson, Durham