THE supermarket chain Morrisons has announced plans to sell off its Safeway branded store on Vale Road at Tunbridge Wells.

All 133 staff members at the store could lose their jobs if another supermarket chain cannot be persuaded to step in, although some may be asked to relocate to other branches.

The announcement comes amid trade union claims that Morrisons wants to close three distribution sites - in Aylesford, Bristol and Warrington - a claim denied by the company.

Morrisons spokesman Ben Howes, said: “The ideal situation would be to find a supermarket buyer, but it’s an option that staff could be transferred to another store. We would certainly look at redeployment.”

Greg Clark, MP for Tunbridge Wells, said the sale of the store could have serious implications for commerce in the town.

He said: “It’s clearly worrying for staff but it would be a source of great concern if the building is left vacant - an empty premises can lower the tone of an area. It’s important that part of the town remains commercially viable.”

He stressed that unemployment could become a major issue, particularly following the closure of Marks and Spencer’s Tunbridge Wells distribution site.

“It’s a lot for the town to absorb. People make the mistake that Tunbridge Wells is a great source of jobs and although there are a lot of office-based jobs, you need a wider cross section.”

“My view is that it’s a prime retail site and it’s important that we use the south of town as well as the north.”