All 85 employees from Somerfield in Low Pavements, Chesterfield, have been sent letters telling them a full redundancy programme will begin on November 17.

The store was destroyed by a major blaze on June 27 and since then staff have been offered work at Somerfield branches in Dronfield and Bolsover.

Now bosses have indicated the Low Pavements shop will not re-open in the foreseeable future and it could be over a year before customers go through checkouts again.

Kenneth Walters (66), who has worked in the home delivery department for eight years, said staff were shocked to receive redundancy notices.

Mr Walters, who lives on Walton Drive, Chesterfield, said: "We've all been under the impression that the store would be open for the Christmas period.

"I feel that, had a decision been made earlier or the staff made aware of the circumstances, we could understand it more."

A spokesman for Somerfield said the company took the decision to issue redundancy notices because of the extent of the damage to the Low Pavements store and unconfirmed timescales involved in reinstatement.

She added: "We are working to establish potential opportunities at other Somerfield stores and with other retailers in the area.

Redundancy packages are available to those we cannot place."
Chesterfield Borough Council, which co-owns the Pavements with an Irish-based property company, began rebuilding the damaged roof this week.
A council spokesman said the Somerfield unit would be handed back to store bosses for re-fitting by April 2008 at the latest and hoped the retailer would be trading again by the middle of next year.

He added: "We are aware that Somerfield has made their Chesterfield staff redundant from November 17, 2007.

However, there are over 13 years of the 40 year lease left to run and all indications to the council from the company is that they are keen to come back to Chesterfield as soon as possible."

The fire, which was started by workmen using a heat gun in the roof, brought Chesterfield town centre to a standstill as 70 firefighters tackled the flames for over nine hours.

The blaze gutted neighbouring Massarrellas coffee shop and two vacant units formerly occupied by Dewhurst Butchers and Nature's Choice fruit shop, all of which are currently undergoing reconstruction.