“I THINK they are disgusting.”

Those are the words of an Andover resident who discovered their workplace was set to close in the Andover Advertiser BEFORE company bosses informed employees.

The worker, who asked to remain anonymous, has hit out at Harvey’s Furniture Store bosses for not revealing to staff that the company is pulling out of the Churchill Retail Park.

The firm has been accused of leaving its workforce in the dark over its intentions, despite a planning application to renovate the store ahead of TK M a x x ’ s arrival being submitted to the borough council and reported in this newspaper last week.

Talking to the Advertiser, the worker said: “I just think it’s disgusting that they didn’t tell the staff what was going on.

“People have got lives to live and families to run.

“We knew something was going on for a while because they kept telling us we were having a refit, but it seemed like they were doing a lot more than that.

“I just think they have been dishonest, they knewwhat was going on and the company didn’t tell us.”

The employee later said company bosses had eventually come clean about plans to close the store, with the retailer’s head office making the announcement to staff members over the weekend.

It is believed that both Harvey’s and Bensons for Beds will now close on February 15, meaning the loss or relocation of six jobs – with two from B e n s o n s believed to be moving to the store at the Enham Arch Retail Park.

The Advertiser contacted representatives from Harvey’s and Bensons for Beds, who are both run by Steinhoff International, for a reaction to the worker’s criticism, but they declined to comment.

It is believed that TK Maxx will open later this year.