KWIK SAVE closed its doors for the final time yesterday, devastating customers and staff and leaving one loyal employee of 25 years jobless.

Valerie Cook, of Clayfield Drive, has been at the Malvern Link store since it opened and fears she will not find another job.

"I just haven't taken it in yet. I'm devastated," she said.

"I'm worried as I'm 52 and I have to go out and find another job. I don't even know where I'm going to go shopping now."

The store's closure will impact on Mrs Cook's entire family as her two sisters, Gina Perks and Sylvia Horsefall, also worked there.

Customers who have shopped at Kwik Save for more than two decades must now go elsewhere as DIY store Focus moves into the building.

Kathleen Munrowd-Beech, from Cradley, said: "I think it's disgusting. I've been a customer at Kwik Save since it opened 25 years ago and my mother shops here and she's 93.

"I think everybody liked Kwik Save, it's a very sad day. It's always had bargains and was always a lot cheaper than everywhere else."

Another customer, Ronald Sincock from Leigh, agreed.

"It's still the cheapest place to shop, especially for us pensioners," he said.

"Everywhere is closing down, the corner shops have all gone."

Talia Heaton, from Great Malvern, has worked at the shop for three years and said that its closure would devastate a lot of the regular customers.

"We've had a lot of cards and presents from people saying that they will miss the shop and the staff," she said.

Manager Kevin Tudge has worked at the store for 15 years and is moving to work at Instore on Malvern Retail Park.

He said: "We have had a lot of loyal customers who come at the same time every week, so it's going to be strange not seeing them."