SIGNS have been removed from Cowley's Next store just a week after the company said it was not expecting to close.

Fears for the future of the Cowley Retail Park branch were raised by an anonymous source who said approximately 100 people were set to lose their jobs.

They said: "Apparently it had agreed a new lease last year, but because of this pandemic, it has gone back to the landlord and asked for an even bigger reduction.

"As this has not been agreed, Next has closed the store."

READ AGAIN: Next expects Cowley Retail Park store not to close

A spokesperson for Next told the Oxford Mail last week though that ‘negotiations are in process and it is expected that the store will not close’.

Despite this the shop's signage has now been taken down.

The company was contacted but did not respond.

City councillor David Henwood, who took the picture, said he had written to Next asking for reassurances that management 'make every effort' to find their staff jobs in other stores.