THE closure of a shop in Honiton town centre could have a knock-on affect on business in the area, the Chamber of Commerce fear.

QS, in Lace Walk, has decided not to renew its lease.

Chamber chairman Colin Wright said the closure of Marks and Spencer’s hit business in the town and he believes QS’s closure will too.

He said: “It’s always a shame for any store in Lace Walk to close because it’s the main thoroughfare from the car park into the centre.

“QS is a national company and they have made a decision to close it because it’s at the end of the lease.

“M&S closing really did hit the town and we would be keen to get someone into the QS building as quickly as we can.

“We are positive that we can find someone and if necessary we could negotiate a reasonable lease.”

Staff at QS said all they knew was that the lease was not up for renewal and they were unable to comment further.

The Midweek Herald contacted the company’s headquarters but they were not available for comment at the time of going to press.

But Mr Wright said there were encouraging signs for the town, such as the revamp of Leo’s.

He added he did not believe all closures were the result of the current recession but sometimes due to ‘natural wastage’ – such as people retiring.