WHSmith announces it is to pull out of Boston in December

The stationary and newsagents store has been a long-standing fixture on Strait Bargate and more recently became the host of Boston’s town centre Post Office branch after it relocated from Wide Bargate.

A spokesman for the company told Lincolnshireworld: “We can confirm that the WHSmith store in Boston will be closing in December this year.

"It is no longer sustainable to continue to trade from this location and the decision has been taken to close the store as a result of the forthcoming lease expiry.

"We are disappointed to be losing our presence in Boston and we would like to thank all our customers for their support and for shopping with us. We are also extremely grateful for the commitment of our in store colleagues who we will support with this transition and redeploy to nearby stores, where possible.”

The spokesman did not elaborate on how many staff are affected by the move. The nearest alternative WHSmith stores are in Spalding, Sleaford and Lincoln.

The question now arises as to where the Post Office branch could relocate to, or if it would be lost from the town centre.

The nearest alternative branches currently are on West Street and Eastwood Road.

A Post Office spokesperson said: “The retailer which hosts Boston Post Office has confirmed that their store will close in December. We have a vacancy to operate Boston Post Office on our runapostoffice.co.uk website and are interested to hear from retailers who may want to take on a Post Office for this area.”

A Boston Borough Council spokesperson said: "We are always sorry to see one of our shops closing, especially for those staff and their families affected by the decision. We will work closely with our partners at DWP to ensure that those who are not redeployed are supported with their immediate needs and to find alternative employment in the future.

"We remain fully committed to working with partners, businesses and residents to protect and revitalise Boston's town centre and to help improve its overall offer to those who live, work or visit there, and will help however we can to ensure that people can still access a local post office and the vital services it provides."