TONNES of stock and equipment have "walked" across Worcester High Street this weekend as WH Smith makes the move to new premises.

The stationery and book retailer's 43 staff have "upped tills" and moved from their two separate shops - at 45 and 51 High Street - into one large, all encompassing store across the road, refurbished at a cost of £500,000 during the past six months.

Manager Jim Lowe said it had been a tense time with work delayed by the flash floods, in April, when water poured into the ground floor and ruined the newly-laid flooring.

The move itself has taken two weeks, with many of the items literally moved by hand across the road by staff.

The grand opening is scheduled for tomorrow.

"It's been a huge job," said Mr Lowe, who has been with the firm for 24 years and in Worcester for three of those.

"For the past two weeks we have been in the process of slowly shutting down the two old stores.

"The book shop closed on Friday, May 21, and as last week went on we closed down the upstairs floor of the main store, where we sell videos, and then the stationery section downstairs.

"When it got to Saturday it was just the newspapers and magazines left!"

Mr Lowe said the move had taken a lot of planning but he was looking forward to both stores being under one roof.

"It will be great! It was such an awkward layout with the two. It will be great to have it all together. But it has been a lot of work. Our staff have been doing an awful lot of walking across the street with boxes.

"I am very tired and very stressed - I think I'm going to collapse over the finish line!"