A MAJOR player on high streets across the UK will be disappearing from Hereford’s High Town next month.

A spokesperson confirmed that the Steamer Trading Company in Hereford had faced difficulties of tenure.

“There have been issues surrounding the renewal of the lease on this property,” she said.

The news was met with dismay by customers who have recently seen the loss of the Lakeland cookshop on nearby Commercial Street.

The cookshop, which was one of 27 stores across the country acquired earlier this year by rivals ProCook, will close its doors on May 6.

A closing down sale is now underway, offering 20% reductions on all stock.

Administrators appointed to Steamer Trading Cookshop in January announced an agreement to sell 27 of the company’s 38 stores and the majority of the business and assets to ProCook.

In a statement the administrators, KPMG LLP explained that 10 underperforming stores were not part of the sale and would close immediately. Hereford was listed among those purchased by ProCook. Nick Holloway, the director of KPMG UK who led the sale, said: “The trade sale complements the existing ProCook business and increases their high street presence.”