Closure of Essex department store costs nearly 50 jobs
Nearly 50 people have have lost their jobs as a department store in Essex closes down on Saturday.
The former Co-op store in Colchester is ceasing to trade because administrators could not find a buyer.
The East of England Co-op transferred 12 stores to Vergo Retailing last year but the firm went into administration.
The Co-op said it believed the transfer was in employees' best interests at the time but staff are bitter that 350 jobs across the region have now been lost.
Employee representative and former Co-op worker Ruby Howes said the staff had been looking forward to a better a future but were deeply disappointed.
"We were told the shops would be modernised and new stock would be brought in but that never happened," she said.