ILL-FATED St Ives shoe shop Stead and Simpson is to close next month.

The company is owned by Shoezone and it announced this time last year that the Crown Street store was to close due to “poor performance and rising costs”.

Sarah Walter, assistant manager, was hired in September to close the shop but with her manager was able to re-negotiate the lease, rescuing the store from extinction and securing herself a permanent contract.

But in a cruel twist of fate, the building’s landlord has given Stead and Simpson a month to leave.

The last trading day will be August 17.

On Saturday the eight staff members were told that the store was closing and they were being made redundant.

Ms Walter said: “None of us have any jobs to go to now.

“I am disappointed as I love my job. We don’t feel let down by Shoezone as they have done everything for us, but feel let down by the landlord who has only given us one month’s notice to leave.

“It will be another shop in St Ives lost forever.”

A Stead and Simpson spokesman said: “We would like to thank our staff for their commitment and hard work and thank our customers for their support and custom over the years.”