The Clintons greeting card shop in a busy town centre mall has closed.

The store inside the Pentagon Centre, Chatham, had decided not to renew its lease, which runs out on April 25, but has in fact closed early.

The closure is one of a series carried out by the firm that was founded in 1968.

There have been other closures announced last month in Dorchester, Ayr, Market Harborough, Bolton and Whitehaven.

At its peak in 1998, the firm owned 676 stores across the country, but is now believed to be down to 207 branches.

The nearest ones to Chatham are at Hempstead Valley in Gillingham and Fremlin Walk in Maidstone.

Alternatively, there is a Card Factory shop in the Pentagon.

The store's space in the Pentagon is being marketed by the centre's agents Jamieson Mills for an annual rent of £70,000.

The Clintons chain has twice fallen into administration and been bought out, by American Greetings in 2012 and again by the Weiss family in 2019.

It is thought the store at Chatham employed eight staff.

It is believed the business is relying increasingly on online sales.

Clintons did not respond to a request for comment.