Fashion and furniture chain Laura Ashley is to shut its King's Lynn store within weeks, it was confirmed today (Friday).

The High Street shop will close next month and it is not yet clear how many jobs will be affected.

Customers are being directed to the retailer's two Norwich stores more than 40 miles away.

A Laura Ashley spokesman said: 'As part of the Laura Ashley store realignment programme, the company will be closing its Kings Lynn site in December.

'We look forward to welcoming new and existing customers to our nearby store in Norwich city centre and our Norwich Eaton store.'

Laura Ashley, which operates more than 200 stores in the UK, seemed to defy the high street downturn in September when it reported a rise in sales for the first half of the year.

The group started life on the kitchen table of founders Laura and Bernard Ashley nearly 50 years ago.