Ipswich town centre's Debenhams store is set to be one of the first in the country to close its doors after the building was sold to a new owner.

There had been speculation that it could be one of the last stores in the country to remain open - but now it has been confirmed that its doors will shut for the last time on May 4 along with 26 other stores. The Cambridge Debenhams will also close on May 4.

It will be one of the first in the region to shut - but all the remaining stores will close by May 15 - including those in Colchester, Chelmsford and Bury St Edmunds.

Ipswich's Debenhams store was expected to be one of the last to close with stock being brought in from other stores - but the closing down sale there has been so successful that the stock is falling faster than expected.

And the Debenhams building has been sold to a development company - the completion date for the sale is May 5 and the business needs to have cleared the building by then.

The identity of the new owner, and the plans for the store, are not yet known - but it is believed to be a local developer and they are believed to have offered more than the borough council was prepared for the freehold of the site.

The current closing down sale which has seen stock brought into Ipswich from other sites will continue until May 4 and some more stock is expected to be brought in because of the demand for bargains in the town.

A spokesman for Debenhams' administrators said: “With such great bargains on offer, it’s no wonder our stock is selling out incredibly fast. Time is running out for shoppers to take advantage of the incredible discounts being offered at these 27 stores.”