Wilko’s staff and customers waved goodbye to the beloved store which is set to close its doors for the last time today.

Customers at the Blackburn town centre store on King William Street were making use of the last bargains available today (October 5) as tearful staff were preparing the to close down.

The manager, Samairah Rafique wrote an emotional poem expressing the staff’s appreciation for their loyal customers.

Lancashire Telegraph: Poem written by Samairah Rafique Poem written by Samairah Rafique (Image: LT)

Speaking about the last day, Samairah said: “Everyone is really feeling it today, a lot of team members have been upset.

"My team are like my family to me and we’re not going to be together anymore so we’re really feeling that pressure now today.

“I’ve been helping the guys with their CVs and helped them apply for jobs.

"More than 50 per cent have managed to get themselves jobs and we’ve all helped each other mentally and emotionally - that’s how close we are. It’s a sad day.”

Lancashire Telegraph: Frank, Khalid, and Mo Frank, Khalid, and Mo (Image: LT)

The store, which is closing down after the company fell into administration, has welcomed a steady stream of customers through the doors who were keen to show their support of staff.

One regular customer, Christine, said: “I come in here a lot and I know most of the staff members and it’s them I feel sorry for.

“This town is dying. It’s definitely dying because everything keeps shutting, we don’t have anything decent on the high street. But it’s the staff who are most hard done by.”

Another two customers, Chloe Platt, 23, and Zarah Keen, 33 say they’re worried that Blackburn’s town centre could become as “empty as Accrington”.

Chloe said: “I hope they do something decent with the store and not just put up another charity shop or takeaway.

“It’s going to be like a ghost town in the next few years, it’s going to be like Accrington if it carries on they way it’s doing.”

Lancashire Telegraph: Empty shelves in Wilko Empty shelves in Wilko (Image: LT)

Zarah added: “We really hope the staff here do get other jobs because there’s a lot of people that work here who are all going to be affected by this and it’s not fair.”

Another shopper, Terrence Heyes said: “Once again, it’s the working class people who are getting absolutely nothing. The staff have lost their jobs and they’re the only ones I care about.

"When people are walking round with millions of pounds in their pockets and people in towns like Blackburn are barely making it by, it isn’t fair.

“I hope the staff are being supported as much as possible and hope they can find jobs quickly.”