WHITEHEADS, Bolton's last family department store will close its doors in January -- the latest casualty of competition from out-of-town retail parks.

The news, reported in later editions of last night's Evening News, follows the announcement that another of the town's cornerstone stores, C&A, will also close in the New Year.

Director of Whiteheads, Richard Whitehead, broke the news to his shocked workforce yesterday. The company employs 45 people.

Mr Whitehead told of his "huge sadness" at leaving the town and blamed out-of-town shopping centres for reducing turnover.

Whiteheads, which has been trading in Bolton since1859, has signed a deal with Bass Taverns. The site will be re-developed creating 35 jobs.

Mr Whitehead said: "It's difficult to describe what I am feeling. It is mostly huge sadness -- because I know that the town is losing something slightly different."

The full-time working director said that Whiteheads had suffered "tremendously" from the opening of the Middlebrook Retail Park and the Trafford Centre.

He said that the prospect of the new complex at Burnden Park would also have caused a knock-on effect on business. "We've simply had an offer too good to refuse," added Mr Whitehead.

The Town Centre Company has played a major role in helping Whiteheads keep ahead of the trading war and was praised for its efforts by the Bolton firm.

But Mr Whitehead also blamed the state of car parking, which was "not shopper-friendly" in Bolton town centre for causing extra problems. He said: "Parking is not great. We need to be promoting the positive aspects of the town and help change people's concepts."

He called for Bolton people to have pride in their town and boycott the larger retail parks.

"Out-of-town shopping might appear to be wonderful. It has its advantages. But the people who use them will be the first to complain when the town centre goes down -- and Bolton is worth supporting.

"The whole family is mightily upset. I am a Bolton lad, born and bred, through and through.

"I love the town. But Bolton will cope. It will move on."

The staff are currently being helped to find alternative jobs by the company.

The JR Taylor part of the business, which represents 50 per cent, will now be transferred to Lytham St Anne's.

Karen Wheeldon, Bolton town centre manager, said: "It is very sad to see them go and it just reinforces our work to protect trade in the town centre against out-of-town development and to try to stem the flow of major retailers leaving the town centre.

"In terms of creating an evening economy, we don't think this is a negative.

"In fact, Bolton is fast becoming a major venue and we are very happy to see the unit taken over straight away than see it left empty."