SHOPPERS have said it will be a “great shame” after a city centre supermarket suddenly announced it would close.

The Co-op store in London Road, Brighton, will be shutting on October 12.

The shop currently has a clearance sale offering customers the chance to snap up “last chance deals” on some items.

But loyal customers say it will be “gutting” to see the store close its doors as “many people rely on it”.

Christine King, 63, lives near Brighton station and said: “It’s a shame, I used to work for the Co-op when it was down the road and I do use it quite a lot.

“I do the lottery here every Saturday and am a member.

“So, the news that it’s closing is a bit unexpected.

“I think people, especially elderly people, do rely on the shop quite heavily.

“People use it as it’s one of the only stores down here, Sainsbury’s is up the hill and much harder to get to.”

The supermarket is next door to a Boots store which closed on September 20.

Both shops are set to be turned into student accommodation.

George Ryder lives near London Road and the Co-op is his local store.

The 69-year-old said: “I can understand this store closing, there is a lot of competition in the city now. This store has seemed to struggle over the years and it was wearing down, but it is a shame.

“As a street London Road just seems to be going from bad to worse.

“But I can’t understand Boots closing.

“They say they can’t find a suitable location but there are a lot of empty shops in this road.”

A Boots spokesman said the store has been “unable to confirm a new location” in a statement earlier this month.

Mr Ryder added that it was “sad to see them both go”.

This view was shared by Tammy Staplehurst, 34, and Jason Sharman, 49, who live in Kemp Town.

Mr Sharman said: “We come down here all the time and our friends use the shop most of the time.

“I only found out through reading the signs in the window and Tammy found out through friends.

“A lot of the shops in the city have shut down now and I think a lot more of the shops in this road will also shut down soon.

“I don’t like the plan to replace it with student housing. They should make some sort of shelter for the homeless instead really.”