An Ipswich borough councillor has been told a busy Aldi store is set to close in a few weeks.

Christine Shaw, councillor for the Whitton area, contacted the discount chain after hearing concerns locally about the future of the store in Meredith Road.

She said: "They quite clearly replied to me that it will be closing on October 28."

News of the closure follows the opening in April of a new, larger Aldi store in Europa Way, close to Sproughton Road.

Mrs Shaw said it would be difficult for many people who use the Meredith Road store, in the heart of the Whitton estate, to travel to the new store, even though it is also in north-west Ipswich.

"I've had many people from the neighbourhood getting in touch who are upset about the closure, because they really use it.

"A lot of people walk to it or get the bus to it. People who have cars won't have a problem, but it's a real loss to the people who are vulnerable, who will suffer the most."

Mrs Shaw said many people relied on the store because of its discount prices, and it also brought customers to the other smaller shops nearby.

"I think the closure will affect footfall for the other shops on Meredith Road. It's very disappointing."

Fellow councillor Colin Kreidewolf said the store had been on the market previously and had received interest, so he wasn't surprised it was closing.

He added: "I think sometimes these large companies don't understand the impact. A lot of people walk to it and see it as their neighbourhood store, and will find it more difficult to get to the other Aldi store."

The store was the first Aldi branch to open in Ipswich, back in 1997, on the site of the former Safe Harbour pub.

Last year, the discount retailer engaged a Cambridge estate agent to market the Meredith Road store.

It is understood the Ipswich and East Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) at one time considered converting the store into a new super-surgery.

However, at the end of 2020, Aldi withdrew the store from the market. At that time it was understood it would operate it alongside the new store for the foreseeable future, to see whether it could justify running both sites.

Aldi has been approached for comment.