A TOWN centre shop which partially collapsed more than two months ago is to be completely demolished.

Employees and shoppers fled from the Mothercare store, in Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland, when part of a wall collapsed.

Staff heard cracking noises just before the collapse, which brought down three floors shortly before 2pm on September 15.

Durham County Council, the building’s landlord, placed an exclusion zone around the damaged shop, leading to the closure of several others.

An investigation by council officers yesterday ruled the building will have to be demolished in the new year.

The exclusion zone will remain in place until the work has been completed. A hoarding will be erected where Mothercare once stood.

All the nearby shops have reopened, except WH Smith and Phones 4 U, which will remain closed until the buildings have been declared safe.

Paul Burr, building and facilities maintenance manager at Durham County Council, said: “Unfortunately we have no choice but to undertake demolition work at the Mothercare site in Bishop Auckland.

“After discussions today we have agreed to defer demolition work until early 2012 and are hopeful this will be complete by the end of January.

“Following the demolition stage, the scaffold will be removed and a hoarding put up at the front of the building removing most of the restrictions currently in place on Newgate Street.”

He added: “It should be noted that access to undertake all work will be from the rear of Mothercare and not from Newgate Street.

“The exclusion zone around the scaffold will be reduced to improve public access on the street during the Christmas period which will hopefully minimise disruption for shoppers.”

No one from Mothercare was available for comment yesterday but it is believed bosses had already submitted its six months notice to Durham County Council before the building partially collapsed and were due to leave on Saturday, December 24.

The group, which has 353 UK stores and 969 overseas, had already announced it was cutting 110 UK stores but has never said whether the Bishop Auckland branch was one of those threatened by closure.