Marks & Spencer in Castleford town centre is closing down

The retailer said it was consulting with staff and would offer other positions where possible.

Matt Graham, M&S Regional Manager, said: “Shopping habits are changing, so we’re rotating our store estate to make sure we have the right stores to offer customers a brilliant shopping experience.

"As part of this transformation, we have today announced to colleagues our proposal to close our M&S Castleford store at 57 Carlton Street.

“Our priority now is to talk to our colleagues about what this announcement means for them and wherever possible, offer them alternative roles with M&S.

"We appreciate that this will be disappointing news but it means we can invest in many of our other stores in West Yorkshire.

"We will be working hard to keep serving customers in our nearby local stores – including our Castleford M&S Outlet, our M&S Wakefield store, and our nearby M&S Foodhall in Pontefract where customers can also Click & Collect purchases from M&S.com.”

It’s not the first time the Carlton Street store has been threatened.

In early 2016 the company had considered closing the store alongside the opening of a newer store at Junction 32 but it received a stay of execution.

This afternoon (Tuesday), Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford MP Yvette Cooper said had spoken to M&S and urged the firm to stay in the town.

She said: “This is devastating newsfor everyone in town and especially for staff.

"I am urging M&S to think again. We need this store at the heart of Castleford. I have spoken to M&S this afternoon to challenge their decision and urge them to re-think.

"At a time when Wakefield Council has secured £24 million of investment for the town this should be a chance for them to work in partnership with the council to keep jobs and shoppers in town.

“The government promised to support our town centres but it has failed. We cannot afford for our town centres to be run down while big stores move to out of town developments.”