Builders' merchants Travis Perkins has declined to comment on the future of its Newtown branch after reports the site had shut for good.

The company is closing 165 stores across the UK, with about 2,500 workers being made redundant.

A banner has been placed across the front gates of the New Road site apologising for the inconvenience of the branch's closure. The County Times understands that the site had employed six people.

The company's sites in Machynlleth's Treowain Industrial Estate and Maesbury Road in Oswestry are safe from closure, however, with the banner redirecting customers to those stores.

Travis Perkins said the current round of closures comes as it expects the recession to hit the trade for at least two years.

Chief executive Nick Roberts said: “Whilst we have experienced improving trends more recently, we do not expect a return to pre-Covid trading conditions for some time and consequently we have had to take the very difficult decision to begin consultations on the closure of selected branches and to reduce our workforce to ensure we can protect the group as a whole.

“This is in no way a reflection on those employees impacted and we will do everything we can to support them during this process.”

The redundancies make up around nine per cent of the total workforce, Travis Perkins said with the store closures reducing its portfolio by eight per cent.

The company added: “Branch closures will be concentrated in the merchant businesses, in particular the Travis Perkins general merchant, focusing on small branches where it is either difficult to implement safe distancing practices, or where marginal profitability will be eroded in a reduced volume environment.”