INDEPENDENT retailer The County Stores, Taunton, once known as the ‘Harrods of the West Country’, has announced a proposal to close its store in January, 2017.

The firm, which has been trading in Taunton since the mid-1850s, announced the proposal to its 61 staff at a meeting in the store on Monday. In the next month a collective consultation process will take place before a final decision is made.