A shopping centre has been dealt a further blow following the shock announcement a women’s fashion shop will shut.

Select in Ashford’s County Square is the latest retailer to join the mass exodus from Kent’s high streets, as closing-down sale signs unexpectedly appeared in the shop’s windows.

It comes after KentOnline reported that in January alone, a minimum of 17 shops shut their doors for good.

This included Job Centre Plus in Ashford’s County Square, which has now left the huge former River Island unit empty.

Select’s closure will leave just Chill Time, Next and New Look in the shopping centre’s extension.

Next was going to leave the town centre location in 2022, but in a surprise move, bosses reversed their decision after negotiating a new lease.

It followed the recent closure of other key stores including H&M, which used to home the unit next door to Next, as well as the huge three-storey Debenhams store which left in 2020.

Elsewhere in the centre, On Pizza shut in September after just two years in County Square. It came after bosses said they were “unable to sustain the store”.

But, the shock announcement of Select has left shoppers fearing once again, “there will be no shops left soon”.

Following a post explaining the fashion retailer would be shutting for good at the end of the month on Facebook, Bethanie Antonelli said: “There’s literally going to be nothing left of Ashford at this rate.”

“Sad to see another clothes shop go.”

Paige Jessie Holland added: “At this rate if no shops open in that area, they may as well knock it down.

“[It’s a] shame because it cost enough to build it!”

Megan Wright commented: “No point going into town, I only went into town pretty much to go in Select as I love the clothes there.”

The fashion retailer has been at the shopping centre for years and is situated between jewellers A Simmonds and the former Debenhams.

There are now only two Select stores left in Kent, these are in Maidstone and Chatham.

Its announcement of closure comes after a recent town centre survey carried out by Ashford MP Damian Green found that the majority of people who took part said they only visited County Square less than once a month.

It also revealed that 49% of respondents do not regularly visit the town centre due to a lack of shops, while others blame parking charges and anti-social behaviour.

Another key piece of information found from the survey was the shop that most people would like to see come to Ashford – and possibly fill the former Debenhams unit.

Thirty-three percent of the 1,200 respondents listed Primark, with M&S - which left the town in 2019 - second with 24%.

After speaking to shoppers in County Square, some said they would be more likely to visit the town if Primark opened.

County Square has been contacted for comment about Select closing.