A lingerie shop has been forced to close due to the pressures of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis.

Smitten Lingerie to Love in North Street, Chichester, announced their closure with “great sadness” earlier this week and thanked customers for their “love and support over the years”.

A spokeswoman for the company said: “The business was just five years old and, in that time, we battled through two closure periods during the two years of the pandemic and more recently through the cost of living crisis.

“These things are beyond our control and cost us dearly.

“Although we made it through the pandemic, we never really recovered from those years of losses.

“We have tried all that we can to make the business work, but we can no longer trade in the current environment after five years of losses.

“We have had great feedback from our customers, and many have said that the support and services we gave them were life-changing. Our aim of making our ladies feel amazing and giving them confidence was most definitely met.

“We are devastated to be in this position and are so sorry that we are unable to continue to provide a service that our customers say is desperately needed.”

Queries about the closure should be sent to the company’s insolvency firm Insolvency Direct at 01242 576555.