MORRISONS in Tyldesley will close on Sunday, it has been revealed.

The Shuttle Street supermarket, which employed over 100 workers, is one of 11 stores across the country to be axed by the company.

Staff, shoppers and councillors have been left devastated by the news which will come as a massive blow to the town and local economy.

When the closure plans were announced, local councillors and representatives of Tyldesley Town Partnership petitioned to keep it open but were told by the company’s management that the store was no longer “financially viable."

Tyldesley UKIP representative Matthew James said the closure is a devastating blow for Tyldesley residents.

He said: “Out of 110 jobs, 106 of them are people who live in the town of Tyldesley which means this Christmas 106 residents and families of Tyldesley will be without a job.

“This closure will have a massive knock on effect with the local businesses due to loss of outside of town trade which came to the town due to the Morrisons.”

Stephen Hellier, Tyldesley Labour Councillor and Vice Chairman of Wigan Planning Committee, said: “Coming in the run-up to Christmas, the whole affair is very disappointing and extremely worrying, especially for the staff and the wider public who have come to rely on the store.

“Although I gather Wigan Council and Morrisons themselves will try to attract an alternative operator for the store, this might be the catalyst needed to bring small traders back to the town centre. It’s a case of 'Wanted – butcher, fishmonger and greengrocer for Tyldesley.”

Mr James said he believes the store has suffered due to the building of the guided busway – and people avoiding the store due to traffic.

He added: “The workers have put their heart and soul into their jobs despite knowing they are losing them.They have been a credit and inspiration to this town and this store and the family of great staff will be greatly missed.”

Shopper Vicky Livesey, of Beckford Court in Tyldesley, has been going to the store since it opened in April, 2009.

She said: “There will be nowhere to do a big shop now in Tyldesley. It will put my shopping bill up as I will have to travel to do shopping We need another supermarket in its place and not an Aldi or Lidl because you can’t do a big shop in them and would still need to travel for certain things.

“It will be the elderly who are going to suffer the most from the closure.”

Another shopper, Margaret Acroft, aged 74 of Elliot Street, in Tyldesley said: “I think it will be a great loss to the people of Tyldesley. I will miss it very much.”

Morrisons refused to comment on the closure.

But when the plans were announced in September, David Potts, chief executive, said the decision was with "great regret"

He added: "The supermarket chain face a long journey to improve its fortunes, with pre-tax profits having almost halved in six months.

"Since joining Morrisons, I have been struck by the passion and commitment of all our colleagues, and I want to thank them for their continued good work. The immediate priority is to deliver a better shopping trip to stabilise trading performance. It will be a long journey.”