KIDDERMINSTER town centre has taken another battering with the news that the Index store is to close down with the loss of 13 jobs.

The announcement follows hot on the heels of the closure - last Friday - of the Somerfield supermarket and the decision by Waitrose to pull out of the town in July.

Nationally, Index - which is part of the Littlewoods giant - has made losses in nearly every year of its 20-year history.

Chairman, David Simons, said it had accumulated losses of more than £100 million despite many attempts by different management teams to turn the business around.

Kidderminster's Index shares its Worcester Street premises with the Littlewoods store, which will take over the floor space when it closes.

It is one of 93 branches located within Littlewoods stores nationwide.

There are a further 66 standalone stores, 33 of which are being sold to its main rival, Argos, for £44 million.

A company spokesman said there would now be a 90-day consultation period to discuss options with the staff and unions.

A spokesman for retail union, Usdaw, said: "As part of our discussions with the company, we will be urging them to re-deploy as many as possible of Index staff affected by this decision to other parts of the group."

Wyre Forest District Council cabinet member for economic regeneration, councillor James Dudley, said: "This is a consequence of the restructuring of a major retail chain and not a reflection on the local economy."