CALDICOT'S Shoe Zone closed its doors for the last time on Saturday adding to a growing list of retailers leaving the town.

The high-street value shoe shop announced last May it was to permanently close the shop on Newport Road, following the expiry of its lease, making around five members of staff redundant.

The closure is yet another blow for the already dwindling high street in Caldicot which saw a number of shops close in 2011 including Chapman's Discounts and Richard James Clothing.

Making their last visit to the shop, 26-year-old mum, Kirsty Walsh, of Sudbrook, along with her 2-year-old daughter, Alycia, and mum, Joan, 61, told the Free Press she was disappointed to see the shop close.

"It's a real shame to see it go especially since there are no other shoe shops here. It's sad because it's come to the point where there's not enough to bring shoppers in.

"We used to come here all the time but rarely do anymore."

Her mother, Joan, added: "More needs to be done to help the town. The council concentrates more on a supermarket believing it's the answer to all its problems rather than help the existing businesses."

Caldicot resident and local worker, Alan Rae, 45, said: "The council acts like the supermarket is the be-all-and-end-all but you only have to look at dozens of towns across the UK to see that these big supermarkets on the edge of towns do nothing to help the high streets.

"Businesses here are struggling and the more shops that close the worse it gets for everyone."A spokeswoman for Shoe Zone said: "We always measure the profitability of each individual site and any decision to close a store is taken very seriously but unfortunately this shop has not been successful for us and we are unable to continue trading with the current levels of costs and turnover."