TRADERS and shoppers are reeling after one of Eastcote's most established shops announced it was closing to be replaced by a Tesco supermarket.

There was shock around the high street yesterday (Wednesday) when a sign suddenly went up in the window of Woolworths announcing up a closing down sale.

It later emerged the store has agreed to sell its lease to Tesco and will be closing its doors for the last time on Saturday November 1.

With up to 70 per cent slashed off prices it did not take long before a crowd of bargain hunters had packed into the store, which has stood since 1937 in Field End Road.

Alec Grierson, who has lived in Eastcote for 54 years, rang the Gazette to say his wife had seen queues stretching down the road and hoardes of frantic shoppers.

He said: "Woolworths is a mainstay of Eastcote, it's been there long as I can remember. What a blow it is going to be to the area to lose a business of that pedigree."

A spokesman for Woolworths issued the following statement: "Woolworths can confirm that it has accepted an offer from Tesco Stores Limited for the lease on its store in Field End Road, Eastcote.

"The store will cease trading on Saturday 1st November and has been open since 1937.

"The 18 affected employees have been informed and are now in a 30 day consultation period to discuss their individual futures and alternative employment opportunities at Woolworths.

"Woolworths has said for some time now that, if it is financially right for the company to do so, it will take the opportunity to exit stores. This does not mean there will be widespread store closures.

"Woolworths expects to close around half-a-dozen stores this year and a similar number in the early part of next year.

"Woolworths has 817 stores in the UK and over 100 stores in Greater London, including near-by Ruislip, Pinner, and Rayners Lane. These stores are unaffected and will not be closing."

This morning (Thursday) a crowd began gathering up to an hour before the store opened for business and staff were expecting to be busy every day until the closure takes place.