DEBENHAMS bid a final farewell to Warrington when all the Golden Square department store's staff stood at the entrance and clapped.

The three-storey shop permanently closed yesterday, Wednesday, and the moment was captured on video by the shopping centre team. 

A spokesperson for Golden Square said on Facebook: "Good luck to all the amazing staff at GS Debenhams.

"We’re sad to see you go Debenhams, as we’re sure a lot of you are. Big thank you and good luck to store manager Chris along with all of the fantastic staff who have worked there throughout the years. 

"You made our GS Debenhams the amazing store it was and we wish you all the best for the future. Let’s give them a big cheer/show of support."

The retail giant collapsed at the end of last year but Warrington's 'anchor' department store reopened on April 12 for a final closing down sale.

After scraping through previous years, the pandemic saw Debenhams finally fall into administration.

In January, online fashion retailer Boohoo bought the Debenhams brand and website in a £55million rescue deal that will see the company operate as an online-only retailer from next year.

The number of jobs lost in Warrington and altogether as a result is still unknown, but with stores closing across the 242-year-old brand, it is unlikely many of the remaining 12,000 jobs will be saved.

A Debenhams spokesman added: “Our sincere thanks go out to all of our colleagues and customers who have joined us on this journey."