HUNDREDS of Bolton shoppers queued to get their hands on a bargain after the death knell was sounded for high street chain, Woolworths.

The company’s town centre store in Deansgate was besieged by customers following an announcement on Wednesday that administrators had failed to find a buyer.

And there was a mixture of nostalgia and disappointment among those in the queue as they reflected on the company’s 100-year-old history.

The shop, founded in 1909, has become one of the most familiar names in the British high street.

But it went into administration on November 27.

As bosses searched for a buyer to rescue the business, they announced that massive clearance sales would be held in stores across the country.

A sign on the door of the Bolton store said the shop would not open until 9.30am due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

Many shoppers said they were sad to see Woolworths close down, having used the shop all their lives, while others complained that the sales were not as good as they expected.

Some angry punters shouted “rip off” and “it’s not worth going in” as they left the store.

Tom Turner, aged 66, of Moorfield Gardens, Bolton, was almost in tears as he described how he had grown up with Woolworths.

He said: “It’s nostalgic for me. Woolworths is a British institution and I genuinely feel quite sad about it, especially for the staff.

“I grew up in Leigh, and I always used to shop at Woolworths as a child. I’m a little bit choked, to be honest.”

Sharon Bury, aged 38, of Catterick Drive, Little Lever, said she thought the “up 50 per cent off” signs were misleading.

She said: “I think it’s a bit of a con because they said it was going to be 50 per cent off, but when you get in its not.”

Woolworths employs 53 people at its town centre branch and 18 in Farnworth, and they do not know how long they will have jobs.

A spokesman for administrators Deloitte said: “No specific decision has been made on closing dates, but there have been various discussions.

“Expectation is that stores will remain open until after the Christmas period, but it’s possible that some stores may close before the end of December.

“Consultation with all employees has taken place and we are working closely with Jobcentre Plus and the Redundancy Payment Service to put measures in place in the event of any redundancies.”