BOOK shop WHSmith will close one of its Bournemouth branches this weekend. 

The Boscombe store in Christchurch Road will close on Saturday, June 8 after 18 years of trading from the building. 

A spokesman for WHSmith said the decision to close the shop was because of the expiration of its lease. 

He said: “It is no longer sustainable to continue to trade from this location, and the decision has been made to close the store as a result of the forthcoming lease expiry. “ 

Worker Leah McKenna said: “It is upsetting that the shop is closing. We have a lot of regular customers who are really going to miss coming here. 

“We have quite a few elderly customers who come in to buy books.” 

The spokesman added: “We are also extremely grateful for the commitment of our in-store colleagues who we will support with this transition and redeploy to nearby stores, where possible.” 

The building is expected to be demolished at some point in the next year as part of major plans by BCP Council to provide new flats, a medical and community centre in nearby Hawkwood Road car park. 

Town hall officials confirmed the car park will be out of use from 2025.