A FORMER BHS store has been taken over by discount giant Poundworld.

The Worthing shop, in Montague Street, shut this summer along with six other branches in Sussex when the famous High Street brand went into liquidation and folded.

In the biggest retail collapse since Woolworths in 2008, around 11,000 jobs were lost after administrators could not find a buyer for the business.

Now Poundworld has announced it will be reopening the Worthing store on October 13, creating 30 new jobs.

The retailer plans to open in 60 new locations this year.

Dariusz Slabik, area manager at Poundworld, said: "We’re excited to be opening in Worthing for the first time and offering local customers their favourite brands and products at the best possible prices.

"We really are passionate about helping people save as much money as possible on their weekly shop."

Poundworld, which is one of the country's fastest growing retailers, has more than 340 stores nationwide.

Worthing Town Centre manager Sharon Clarke had previously warned the shop may be difficult to occupy because of its huge size.

She told The Argus she was pleased the store has been filled but said many customers wanted a premium, higher end shop to move in.

She said: "Worthing Town Centre is a good news story. It is good to have the site occupied, but people have to accept that customer habits have changed.

"More and more of us are shopping online, and the growth for High Street shopping is at the lower end of the market. We can only hope that will go full cycle and shopping habits change."

BHS went into administration in April, one year after retail billionaire Sir Philip Green sold the chain to serial bankrupt Dominic Chappell for £1 in 2015.

The seven Sussex BHS stores in the county that closed were Worthing, Horsham, Eastbourne, Crawley, Chichester, Brighton and Hastings.