THE number of empty units in High Town is set to increase with the loss of another big name shop.

Jewellery chain H. Samuel have today confirmed that the company will not be renewing the lease on their long-established Hereford store.

A familiar feature in Hereford's High Town, the store will permanently close its doors when its lease comes to an end this summer.

An H. Samuel spokesperson said: "The H. Samuel store at 22 and 23 High Town, Hereford will close on June 22.

"We continually re-assess our portfolio of stores on a store by store basis, particularly when individual store leases come up for renewal.

"We are sorry to be leaving Hereford, however we do have a wide online offering."

The company was keen to assure shoppers that the Hereford closure is an isolated one which bears no reflection on the future plans of parent company Signet's business estate overall within the UK but declined to comment further.

The company, which was established in Liverpool in 1862, was acquired by the Signet Group, which also owns the Ernest Jones and Leslie Davis jewellery chains.

H. Samuel currently has around 300 stores across the country and employs around 17,000 staff.