Tea specialist T2 has announced it is closing its store at the Westgate Centre in Oxford.

The Australian company said last month it would be closing all its UK stores to focus on regions 'closer to home', such as New Zealand and Singapore.

The Westgate Centre store has been open since October 2017, when there was a £440m revamp of the centre, bringing 100 new shops, restaurants, a cinema and a rooftop terrace.

READ AGAIN: Paperchase store at Westgate Centre to close 

T2 said UK stores would remain open until February 19, with the UK online store closing on February 22. 

In a bid to shift stock before the closure date Oxford tea lovers are being offered 80 per cent discounts.

A T2 statement said: "Due to unprecedented changes over the past few years, we’ve made the decision to close all operations in the United Kingdom.

Oxford Mail:

“We’d like to thank our dedicated sippers for their support over the years."

T2 is close to the Bonn Square entrance to the Westgate and not far from Paperchase in the centre, which is also closing after the chain went into administration.

The chain collapsed and went into administration last week after failing to find a buyer for the business.

All 106 stores, including the one at Westgate will close - with about 1,000 employees losing their jobs.

Large yellow signs have been put up in the windows and around the shop to let customers know the store is closing, with discounts available until the store closes.

READ AGAIN: Westgate shoppers can leave bags with cycle couriers

Notices about the administration have been placed by the tills but staff said they had not yet been given a closure date.

The retailer hired administrators after the struggling business was unable to secure a rescue sale.

Oxford Mail:

Tesco has agreed to buy the high street stationery chain’s brand but not its shops or workforce.

Administrators from Begbies Traynor said that they would keep the shops open for a short time, and that staff would stay in their jobs in the meantime. They said nothing about what would happen to their jobs in the long term.

The administrators said that they had made 75 workers at the London head office redundant.

The administrators said: "Unfortunately, despite a comprehensive sales process, no viable offers were received for the company, or its business and assets, on a going concern basis.

“However, there has been significant interest in the Paperchase brand and attendant intellectual property.

Oxford Mail:

“The joint administrators will continue trading the company’s operations in the short-term, with all stores remaining open and trading as normal.”

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This story was written by Andy Ffrench, he joined the team more than 20 years ago and now covers community news across Oxfordshire.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Andy.ffrench@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter @OxMailAndyF