A PETITION launched to save the Marks and Spencer store in Poole has gained just shy of 3,000 signatures.

The Dolphin Centre store is expected to close its doors for good in January 2022, much to the dismay of Poole resident Tricia Hercoe who started a petition in hopes to stop the beloved shop from shutting.

What she hoped to get 100 signatures on has now surpassed 2,800 and is still gaining pace each day.

Tricia said: “I think it’s amazing there’s such strong support for it and that people care as much as I do and don’t want to see it go.”

Since last reporting on the petition, Tricia has been back in touch with the office of the chief executive of M&S who she says have confirmed that the store closure remains a ‘proposal’.

She said: “I emailed in the week and they’ve not replied about my suggestions to open a food hall or smaller store in Poole. But they did repeat what they said before, that at this stage the closure of the store in the Dolphin Centre is just a proposal - which makes me think that it’s not for definite.”

In our last report Tricia had planned to send the petition back to the CEO of Marks and Spencer to see if they would overturn their decision to close the store when it reached 1,500 signatures.

However, after such a thunderous response Tricia is now going to wait another week to see if she can surpass 3,000 signatures before sending.

Tricia, otherwise lovingly known as Mrs M&S by her loved ones said she is now being called Mrs M&S more than ever since starting the petition.

She said: “Well everyone I’ve spoken to is really pleased I did it [started the petition].

“No one’s that surprised though, I think that’s because they know what I’m like once I get my teeth in something - I just can’t let it go.”

At the time of writing, more than 2,830 people have signed Tricia’s petition to keep M&S in the Dolphin Centre open.

It was revealed earlier this month that the M&S store would close in January after 50 years of trading, meaning the firm would be left with Dorset department stores at Castlepoint and Weymouth.

Visit www.change.org/p/poole-residents-local-mp-s-poole-bid-visitors-keep-marks-spencer-poole-dorset-open to view the petition.