An established jewellers in Canterbury city centre has announced it will be closing down this summer.

Beaverbrooks will shut its doors for the final time on Sunday, June 16 after operating in the city for 15 years.

The impending closure, which frees up a prime spot on the verge of Whitefriars, has been put down to a "number of factors" by the firm.

A spokesman for the jewellers said: "As part of this we continually review our stores’ local positioning and performance. Due to a number of factors, we’ve unfortunately been unable to make our Canterbury store commercially viable and have therefore made the difficult decision to close it.

“We are dedicated to providing exceptional service for our customers through our store network and website.

"The store will cease trading on Sunday, June 16 but will be operating business as usual until this time and following the closure, customers will be able to visit our nearby stores in Maidstone and Bluewater.”

Selling luxury watch and jewellery brands, the family-owned firm was founded in 1919 and runs about 70 stores across the country.

The closure announcement comes after Beaverbrooks revealed the company benefitted from a 2.5% sales profit increase last year.

But the boost has not prevented the Canterbury outlet from struggling, and closing down signs are now plastered across the shopfront and windows.

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