A CHARITY shop looking to close its High Street store has been accused of treating staff and volunteers “disgracefully” by marketing the premises seemingly without telling them.

The Scope store, at 49 High Street, is being advertised online as to let but says the news is “strictly confidential – staff unaware”.

The advert adds: “The shop staff are unaware of the impending disposal and the matter is to be treated in confidence.”

Scope’s head office told the Advertiser that it still wanted “a presence in the town” but blamed the situation on changes in the local market.

When this newspaper asked why local staff and volunteers were seemingly being left in the dark about the planned exit from 49 High Street, the disability charity refused to give any further explanation.

A source, who asked not to be named, has accused Scope of handling the issue poorly, adding: “Is this any way to treat your employees? It’s a disgraceful way of going about things.”

Ralph Beevers, head of retail operations at Scope, said in a statement: “As a charity we always try and get the best possible value for money.

“The property market in Andover has changed recently, and many retailers have been impacted by developments. We are testing the water to inform any future decision-making.

“At this time we intend to keep a presence in the town, but haven’t made a decision on where that will be.”

When the Advertiser asked Scope to explain what it meant by changes in the local market, it refused to comment.

It also declined to say how many people would be affected by the proposed closure, if it meant any job losses and why the letting advert had been worded so secretively.

The advert appears on the website of Picton Jones & Co, property consultants based in Birmingham.

It was dated August 1 and remained in the public domain for six weeks until the Advertiser started investigating.

It is still on the website but the wording has now been tweaked.

When asked about the advert, Picton Jones & Co said that “everything we market is on a confidential basis”.

The manager of Scope’s Andover branch said she could not comment on the matter.

The advert says rent is currently paid at £25,000 a year, with rates payable standing at £14,288 for 2016/17.

It comes a week after the Advertiser revealed that Oxfam is closing its Chantry Centre branch, with bosses blaming a lack of trade.