STAFF at two Marks and Spencer stores in Kent have been stunned by news that the company is shutting down two outlets, one at Folkestone and the other at Chatham.

M&S is moving out of Folkestone after 94 years of trading in the town.

The company, which first opened in the town’s old High Street in 1912, has announced it was making a loss at the Sandgate Road premises it owns. It has been there since 1930.

The 39 Folkestone staff have been promised jobs at other stores. A 30-day consultation period with them is taking place before any closing date is revealed.

Regional manager Anthony Hemmerdinger said: “We believe we have looked at every available option and opportunity to enable us to keep the Folkestone store open but as it is no longer commercially viable, we have had to make this proposal.

“We have an outstanding team here and I would like to thank them for their commitment and the excellent service they have provided our customers. In the event of closure, all our employees will be offered jobs in local Marks & Spencer stores.”

The closure of the M&S store in Chatham High Street will deal a severe blow to regeneration hopes for the town centre.

The company says the store is loss-making and this has been so "for a considerable length of time".

The store's 47 staff have 30 days to come up with ways of turning the business around but plans have already been made to transfer them to the Bluewater or the Hempstead Valley M&S outlet at Gillingham when the store closes at the end of June.

Chatham High Street figures strongly in Medway Council's regenerations plans for the area. Chatham is also earmarked to be the principal "city" in the Thames Gateway development.

Medway Council is to meet M&S chiefs in an attempt to persuade them to change their minds about the proposed closure