ANOTHER well-known high street shop is to disappear from Yate Shopping Centre, it has been announced.

Birthdays, a subsidiary of Clinton Cards, is to close in a further blow to the town’s economy.

The Birthdays arm of Clinton Cards is being axed from the group’s portfolio and around 200 Clinton Cards stores will also close as administrators try to save the struggling firm.

The move will see around 3,000 staff lose their jobs. Peter Saville, joint partner for administrators Zolfo Cooper, said: "Given the sheer size of the Clinton Cards retail estate and the overall performance, we were left with no alternative to today’s difficult decision.

"I am hopeful that the action we have taken will allow us to preserve value in the core underlying business, thereby allowing us and potential buyers to focus on a profitable and viable retail estate going forward."

The Yate Birthdays store was one of four in the Bristol area. It is not yet known which Clinton Cards shops are to face the axe.

The closure follows news last week that independent store Ace Cameras is leaving Yate in June.

Clothing and homeware store BeWise has also taken the decision to move out but will be replaced by a 99p Stores, sparking criticism from shoppers that there are too many discount stores in Yate Shopping Centre. Poundland opened in the former Peacocks store earlier this month.