WOOLWORTHS store at Brixham finally closes down today, ending a 70-year presence in the port.

The sprawling Fore Street department store shuts its doors at close of trading tonight after a roller-coaster 10 days of 19 job losses, and enormous queues of shoppers looking for a cut-price bargain.

The shock news that Woolworths was closing its Brixham store stunned shoppers and residents.

Last week, store bosses announced the store had been sold to Tesco which plans to re-open it as a small Tesco Express corner shop/convenience store in March.

Torbay councillor Mike Morey said: "It's a real loss to the town, not just as a business and an employer, but a shopping experience.

"We all used it when we were teenagers and just grew up with its familiarity and cheapness.

"Later on, I worked on refurbishments to the buildings in the 1970s when my father ran a building company.

"It's the end of an era. The store has been here since 1937 and it's another commercial landmark that's vanishing.

"A lot of families and those with young children will really miss it, especially for the toys, the kids' clothes, the music and the famous pick 'n' mix operation which is apparently the largest in the world.

"A corner-type store with milk and break won't fill the retail gap, especially as we already have a Somerfield almost next door and a Co-op food store 100 yards away."

The Fore Street site also has its own independent history.

Mooring rings have been found in the basement from times when the harbour ran inland beyond the Town Hall, and it was a busy place for fishermen and merchant vessels to unload on the dockside.

Woolworths say they set aside 30 days to talk to the workforce about future jobs, and the employee relations team says this statutory period still has another fortnight to run.

Their spokesman added: "It is Woolworths' policy to redeploy staff to other stores wherever possible.

"The closing down sale was extremely popular and successful.

"However, Woolworths understands this is a very sad day for a small town."

One worker, who did not want to be named, said: "They have offered some of us 20 hours a week at stores in other towns. The nearest are Paignton, Torquay or Dartmouth but, by the time you take your bus or ferry fare or petrol out of the money, it's hardly worth it.

"I don't know what I'm going to do. In view of the credit crunch, it seems so much worse to lose your job only eight weeks before Christmas."

Tesco has said it needs time to get planning approval for changes and for building work to be done before it re-opens at the end of February or beginning of March as a tennis court-size Express store.

A Tesco spokesman has insisted it will have no effect on long-term regeneration plans for a £20million superstore, housing, small shops and parking scheme for the town centre in the future. Building is due to start on that next October.

Meanwhile, Tesco wants to get its name in front of the buying public right away.

The spokesman added: "The central development could take two to three years to come to fruition and the store in Fore Street will enable us to establish an early relationship with the town, prevent an empty shop and help revitalise the centre as a shopping destination.

"We are looking forward to talking to local people about our regeneration proposals at our second public consultation in November and would also be happy to talk to Woolworths staff about employment opportunities in our store once their consultation period is over."

Pensioner Brian Horton, 70, said that older people will miss Woolworths. "It's on the level and there's lots to choose from. My wife Lois and I will be very sad to see it go — I'm a devil for sweets and they have a really good choice. My sympathies are with the staff. What a dreadful shock to all of them."

Joe Cloutman, chairman of the port's chamber of trade, said: "The chamber and Torbay Council are both trying to persuade Tesco to fast-track the red tape and bring its opening date forward .

"A four-month gap is bad news and an big empty store makes a depressing sight in Fore Street, especially during the festive season."