A specialist sewing shop is set to leave a town centre after almost 10 years, with bosses saying a decline in footfall has made it “beyond difficult” for small businesses.

Emporia Fabric and Craft in Park Mall, Ashford, will close next month and move all stock online, dealing another blow to the area.

The last trading day will be Thursday, September 14, with manager and owner Clair Heal blaming the closure of Marks & Spencer and the pandemic, on the fall in sales.

She said: “I have really enjoyed having a shop. The journey has led me to onto other things and to relight my passion for sewing.

“I have loved being part of a fantastic community, but running a small business in this town right now is beyond difficult – so please support all our other local businesses, or they like us, will soon be gone.”

Ms Heal thanked her customers, and said she hoped to see them at events across the country, which the business will travel to.

She went on: “Selling fabrics, sewing patterns, wool and knitting patterns, plus a large range of handmade crafts, the shop was a thriving community hub, full of inspiration and colourful projects.

“But following the departure of the town’s Marks and Spencers in 2019 and a serious decline in footfall in the town centre as a whole, followed by the effects of covid and lockdown in the shopping centre, the area has never really recovered, meaning that visitors to the shop have dwindled in number.

Emporia Fabric and Craft first opened its doors in Bank Street in October 2013, and then moved to much larger premises in Park Mall in summer 2015.

In June, Park Mall also lost refill shop Bare Bazaar after two years.

The business owner, Kati Ramsden said the number of customers would have to double, to give her a chance of survival.

This morning the future of Wilko, also in Park Mall was thrown further into doubt after the chain officially collapsed into administration.

The retailer, which has 13 branches in the county, has failed in its search to attract emergency funding.