A business owner has blamed the closure of a store on Carlisle’s crumbling Central Plaza Hotel, after previously claiming the fiasco cost his firm £100,000.

Carlisle Bed Centre announced its city shutdown via a poster in the shop window, on Victoria Viaduct.

Clear of stock, the store - which is located next to the former Central Plaza Hotel - displayed a message on a piece of paper saying that the store was now closed and that anyone with outstanding orders would be contacted.

Owners had previously complained about the hit they had suffered when severe safety concerns about the state of the neighbouring building forced a road closure last summer.

In a statement, Carlisle Bed Centre said: “The Carlisle Bed Centre has been part of the Victoria Viaduct landscape for over 22 years. It was with great sadness that on March 26 the store closed.

“The store has been a shining light in this neglected area of Carlisle for many years having had a bright new fascia fitted in 2018. Unfortunately the neighbouring building formally known as the Central Plaza Hotel has become an ever- present eye sore.

“With the road closed for several weeks to facilitate partial demolition and more recently the rumoured uncertainly of more closures for further work, the difficult decision was taken to close the store.”

The statement added that the business would continue to function via a website, operating from its Kendal store.

Customers with outstanding orders have also been written to. The bed centre thanked Carlisle customers for their loyalty.

Reacting to the news, City Centre Business Group chairman Steve Matthews said: “We seem to be riding the challenges better than other places. Carlisle has to be seen as a regional shopping centre, where people come from a distance to shop. We have got to do all we can to maintain interest in the city as a place that people come to.”

Speaking to the News & Star in June, the owner of Carlisle Bed Centre, Andrew Gale, said he had lost in the region of £100,000 during the eight weeks Victoria Viaduct was closed.

A Carlisle City Council spokeswoman said: “The emergency works to the Central Plaza building were required to make the building safe and to remove imminent danger. Contractors worked 16-hour days, seven days a week to get the work completed. Our priority was to ensure the building was safe and all possible steps were taken to find the quickest way to do this.

“Although we are not the owner of the Central Plaza, we are supportive of moving development forward. After we invited developers to come forward with ‘expressions of interest’, discussions are ongoing with a potential experienced developer.”