As high street stalwart Wilko collapsed into administration yesterday, customers at the retailer's Hitchin store revealed their shock at the news, while staff with their jobs at risk are clearly concerned.

Chief executive Mark Jackson said on Thursday that time had now "run out", and that "we must do what’s best to preserve as many jobs as possible, for as long as is possible."

Still, around 12,500 staff are at risk, including those in Hitchin, who when the Comet visited the Bancroft store in Friday, appeared understandably concerned as they went about their daily work, continuing to help and support customer's despite their uncertain future.

But, when this newspaper asked staff and the store manager for a response to the situation, it was met with a firm "no comment".

Customers were shocked and saddened about Wilko's possible demise, with many sympathising with staff.

"I think it’s devastating that Wilko won’t be on the high street anymore," said one shopper who spoke to the Comet outside the store.

"Especially in this economy, when it’s vital to have affordable and reliable brands like Wilko.

"It’s also really tragic to think that so many staff are at risk of losing their jobs, and genuinely concerning to think how this might impact their lives."

The family-owned chain started life as a single hardware store in Leicester in 1930, and quickly expanded to more than 400 stores across the UK.

But, it's demise has drawn obvious comparisons to the closure of Woolworths and Debenhams, with another shopper admitting it's "not really that surprising" to see it go the same way.

"Wilko’s been around for a really long time, and always been a staple of the high street," she said. 

"To see it go the same way that the likes of Woolworths and more recently, Debenhams did, would be really upsetting, but not really that surprising.

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"The high street has been struggling for years now, and things have only got worse in recent months."

She also raised concerns about the Hitchin unit, continuing: "As for the store in Hitchin, it’s been around for so many years, so to not have it here would feel strange.

"I also have concerns about what would happen to the unit if Wilko was to go. It’s such a big space I’m not sure who would want it."

Concerns about the future of the high street were also echoed by another Wilko customer, who believes it is becoming impossible to fight its decline.

"It’s a worry that things on the high street are continuing to go downhill, but can you really fight it?," she said.

"Times have changed and the way people shop has changed too, so we need to find other ways to use the high street, by turning them into community assets, for example.

"I do think it’s a shame for the town that Wilko could go, because obviously it’s a useful shop to have that sells things relatively cheap.

"But things haven’t been great in there for quite some time, so I don’t know whether it’s put people off."