A video of staff saying goodbye to Colchester's beloved Debenhams store has gone viral on social media.

The video, posted by former employee Rosie Butterwoth, has been shared hundreds of times on Facebook. 

It has been viewed more than 20,000 times on Facebook.

It has also been posted on video-app TikTok. 

You can watch it here:

The video features photos of staff inside the store before it closed on Saturday.

Staff can be seen clapping and singing to Take That's Never Forget, which is the backing music for the video.

There is also a series of photos from staffs' final moments inside the store.

The store, in Culver Street West in the Culver Square Shopping Centre, closed its doors for the final time on Saturday, May 15.

Debenhams reopened its Colchester store after lockdown for a final closing down sale after the firm was bought by online retailer Boohoo for £55million.

When the deal was confirmed the online giant said it would not be taking on stores or its workforce, meaning the loss of as many as 12,000 jobs.

Gazette:

The historic brand's 118 UK stores have been gradually closing once the remaining stock is sold.

The Colchester store opened first opened in 1987 as the flagship retailers for Culver Square Shopping Centre.

It was built as part of the Culver Square development and stood the test of time along with other former favourites like Woolworths, Adams, Hamells and C&A.

Neighbours hearthrob Jason Donovan opened the premises in 1987.

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It is not known at the moment what will happen to the Colchester unit, which is one of the biggest in the town centre.

The Gazette has contacted the owners of Culver Square Shopping Centre to find out about the future of the unit, however it has not yet responded. 

The Colchester store was one of the final 28 across the country to close on Saturday. 

The retailer has suffered slumping sales in recent years as shoppers moved away from traditional department store models.

However, the enforced closure of sites during the pandemic was the final straw, resulting in the company falling into administration within weeks of the virus fully hitting the UK.