BOSSES at Topshop have told staff the Barnstaple branch of the international fashion chain is closing down, the Journal understands.

Sources say staff at the store in Green Lanes, were called into a meeting last Wednesday and told the store was closing down on March 31.

The store, owned by Arcadia Group, first opened more than a decade ago when it replaced Principles. It comprises of Topshop upstairs, and the men’s department, Topman, downstairs.

No one at Topshop’s head office would comment on the closure officially, but local staff have confirmed they have been told the shop was closing.

A member of staff on Tuesday said the top management were due to hold a meeting on Wednesday, to discuss the future of the shop’s staff.

No one at Green Lanes was allowed to comment. British Land, which owns the shopping centre, also declined to speak.

Barnstaple Town Centre Manager Craig Bulley said he hoped the closure was a casualty of previously mooted Arcadia Group store closures nationally, and not a snub to Barnstaple.

Sir Philip Green, who owns Arcadia Group, announced in November that Arcadia would be closing 250 high street stores following a 38 per cent fall in profits. Along with Topshop, Arcadia Group also own Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridge, BHS and Burton.

In an interview with the BBC in November Mr Green said: “We have got, from my memory, 450 or 460 stores where leases expire in the next three years. And I think on our latest summary we will close more than half of those on lease expiry. So I would say, I would expect us to close 250-260.”

Craig Bulley said: “I hope this goes back to what Philip Green said last year and this is one of the shops which is up for lease expiry, and it’s not a case of them just wanting to leave Barnstaple. I would feel a lot more comfortable with that.”

No one at Green Lanes could confirm whether this was the case.

Mr Bulley added: “I am desperately disappointed to see Topshop go, it was a key name in an important location. It also concerns me people will lose their jobs, and I’d very much like people to spare a thought for them at the moment.”

With La Senza closing down a few weeks ago, the closure of Topshop will leave another empty unit in Green Lanes.

Mr Bulley added: “While it is obviously not positive that we’ve lost two big national chains, these are national chains and there are still several perfectly good local independent retailers in Barnstaple, who cater for that market, such as Eden and the Surgery, alongside the national chains like River Island who are still doing well.

“A positive message we could get out of this is to support the local businesses who are staying in the town.”