A POPULAR supermarket store has announced it will be closing later this year.

The Co-op on Lymington Road, Highcliffe will close its doors on September 14.

A spokesperson for Co-op said: “We carry out reviews of our existing store locations, and sometimes, only after very careful consideration, we take the difficult decision to close a store.

“Our store in Lymington Road, Highcliffe-on-Sea, will close on September 14, and our priority is now to fully support colleagues, who have been informed.

“We understand, this won’t be welcomed by everyone, and we would like to thank the community for its support of this store.”

Residents in the area took to social media to voice their concerns about the closure.

One person commented: “It’s very sad as many of the elderly rely on this shop as they cannot drive or get far.”

Another commented: “What a shame, what a loss.”

For residents in the area, there is a Tesco Express on Lymington Road, Highcliffe, the last remaining supermarket shop in the area.

The nearest Co-op stores will be a Co-op on Fairmile Road, Christchurch and Co-op on Cranleigh Road, Southbourne.