Marks & Spencer workers found themselves locked out of their store yesterday as management admitted a costly blunder.

The £40m Lifestore at Gateshead's MetroCentre, heralded as "exciting and groundbreaking" when it opened on February 25 is to close in January.

Most of the 190 workers only learned the news when they turned up for work.

The earliest arrivals found the gate to the staff entrance locked while management held crisis meetings inside.

They were finally admitted in time for the doomed store to open at 10am.

As they filed inside, a Marks & Spencer spokeswoman emerged from the staff entrance to admit the Lifestore had been a "bold experiment that didn't work."

Lorna O'Donnell said: "It became very apparent early on that the concept was too contemporary, too soon. It was just too quick for the customer and it didn't fit in with the overall strategy of the company, it was a bit too fast."

When asked why staff were not told until they arrived for work, she said: "We were bound legally to announce this kind of thing to the London stock exchange so staff could not be informed until after we announced it to the City, which was first thing this morning.

"Staff have been informed at the earliest opportunity."

The closure is planned for the end of January and all staff will be offered work in other stores.

One woman, on her first day at work, said: "The first thing I heard about the closure was when my husband rang me on my mobile after he heard it on the radio."

The 70,000 sq ft store was opened under the direction of former Selfridges boss Vittorio Radice. Its centrepiece is a full size, two-storey house designed by architect John Pawson as a display set for the products on offer.

More than 12,000 items were on sale - everything from barbecues, benches and outdoor lighting to confetti, cutlery, champagne flutes and cups.

As he opened the store Mr Radice said: "Marks & Spencer Lifestore is an exciting concept that breaks new ground. It represents our first step towards becoming a leader in the home market."

Customers were shocked at the news that the store is to close.

Daniel Irvine, 29, from Durham, said: "This store has been the best thing for the North-East in ages. It has put us on the map and everything in it is spot on, trendy and up-to-date.

"They must be crazy if they want to shut something like this down."