Owner of Lyn’s Lunchbox in Lea fears for her livelihood as shop is set to be demolished

Lyn Day, 52, of Lyn’s Lunchbox in Birkdale Drive, says her two staff members who have children and mortgages, will also lose their jobs.

“I’m gutted because it’s my livelihood,” said Lyn. “I can’t get a job at my age.

“I’ve had to tell my staff that they’ve got 15 weeks.

“I’m only five minutes away from the shop and that’s why I opened it - for myself. and for the community.

“The amount of old people we get coming in for a cup for tea and a chat.

"The news was such a bombshell.”

Community Gateway says it has been working to regenerate the area round the Savick shops and initially its plans had been to rebuild the shops.

However the plans had to be dropped after other business owners decided they did not want to continue with their lease agreements.

Louise Mattinson, executive director of Customers and Communities at Gateway, said: "Sadly, this means that it is no longer viable for us to continue with our plans to invest in the building of a number of new shops when there is no evidence to suggest that they could be let.

“While we understand the café owners would like to enter into a lease on a new unit, the provision of temporary accommodation is only feasible if a majority of business owners are in agreement.

“It was always our intention to replace the library and shop units and we share the community’s disappointment that there is insufficient interest from business owners to make this possible.

"However we can confirm that we are continuing with our plans to provide a new purpose built library which will benefit the community for many years to come.”

Lyn’s lease on the shop in Birkdale Drive ends on August 27.

A petition to save Lyn's Lunchbox has attracted almost 700 signatures.