JOBS are to be lost in Ipswich after a struggling camera chain today announced plans to close a store in the town.

JOBS are to be lost in Ipswich after a struggling camera chain today announced plans to close a store in the town.

Jessops is axing 550 jobs and closing 81 shops nationwide in a bid to revive the failing store after recent profit warnings.

As part of the changes the store at Upper Brook Street will be closed by the end of the year and all the workers in the shop will lose their jobs.

However Jessops' other Ipswich shop, at The Buttermarket, will remain open.

The announcement comes the day before The Woolwich building society is due to close its branch in Upper Brook Street leaving another vacant shop-front in a street which has recently seen many stores close.

A spokesman for Jessops, which is embarking on the cost-cutting drive after the firm announced pre-tax losses of £25.2million for the six months to April, said: “The decline in value of the digital compact camera market has severely impacted Jessops.

“Regrettably the recovery will entail the loss of 550 jobs across the business.

“The company is refocusing the business on building a base for solid growth.

“All the remaining stores are profitable.”

The latest announcement of job cuts in the town follows the axing of 19 administrative posts after the ferry company Ferryways went into administration, and the threat of around 45 more jobs being lost at Ipswich docks if Ferryways route from Ostend to Ipswich is cancelled permanently.

n What do you think? Have you lost your job as a result of Jessops' announcement? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk