Shopping mall 'frozen in time'

But council warns 'urban explorers' against entering demolition site

- By HANNAH RICHARDSON

PILES of new clothes, floors strewn with iPads and rows of vinyl lie abandoned in Stretford Mall.

The shopping centre, in Chester Road, shut to customers at the end of February.

Its closure has been looming for years, but scenes inside give the impression of an emergency exit with businesses forced to flee at short notice.

In their wake, stacks of items once intended for sale remain scattered throughout the mall. Their value is likely to be in the thousands.

The mall opened in the 1960s. At its opening, the building was described as "bold, modern and full of energy".

But in the decades since it has become tired and outdated, with Trafford council deciding there was no place for the centre in its vision for a revamped Stretford. The building is now to be demolished and housing is proposed for the site.

Fences around the building have not kept people from entering.