Shoe retailer Clarks has closed its branch inside an Ashford supermarket after just one year of trading.

The concession opened in Sainsbury's Bybrook in August last year, taking up a space on the first floor.

But now Clarks has confirmed the footwear department has closed permanently and stopped trading on November 27.

The section it filled - next to the tills and clothing - has now been cleared out and sits empty.

Disappointed shoppers expressed their sadness over the loss on social media, with one saying this was the "only place we could find school shoes this year".

Another said: "I bought from there in the summer. Sorry to hear they have gone."

However others feel the closure was unsurprising.

One shopper said: "With there being a Clarks outlet in the same town, it was never likely to work."

Another added: "I didn't know they were in there in the first place."

It comes after the branch located inside Sainsbury's in Stadium Way, Crayford, closed the same week.

The branch in Hempstead Valley shopping centre in Gillingham also closed suddenly in October.

The Clarks store in Ashford's Designer Outlet remains open as usual.

A spokesman from Sainsbury's said: “Clarks has decided to close its concession in our Bybrook Sainsbury’s supermarket.

"We will keep our customers and colleagues updated."