Lichfield’s last remaining department store will shut for the final time next week.

Staff at TJ Hughes in the Three Spires Shopping Centre were told yesterday that Wednesday will be the last day of trading.

The Liverpool-based company called in administrators in June.

Staff leaving the Lichfield branch last night said it was sad news but not unexpected.

The two-floor store, which employs 85 staff and had been trading for 17 years, was already displaying “closing down” and “everything must go” signs and advertising up to 60 per cent off remaining stock. Fixtures and fittings are now on sale.

There are five neighbouring units already empty near the TJ Hughes store but Lichfield Chamber of Trade president Richard Lewis said there was only an eight per cent shop vacancy rate in the city centre compared with the national average of 12 per cent.

Other TJ Hughes stores in the region, including those in Wolverhampton, Walsall and Kidderminster, have already closed.

Lichfield will be one of the last five TJ Hughes stores in administration to shut on Wednesday.

The other stores are in Doncaster, Bradford, Sunderland and Wrexham.