Barren 'shopping centre with no shops in it' that was once biggest in UK

Take a look inside the 'shopping centre with no shops in it' - Shopping City in Runcorn.

It was supposed to be the heart of Runcorn's New Town when it first opened its doors in 1972. At that time, it was the biggest indoor shopping centre in the country and Europe and was the main hub of Runcorn's brand new wheel.

It had sky walkways linking it to the hospital, courts and the surrounding modern estates. In its early years, it was really popular, with people coming from nearby Liverpool and Manchester to shop there.

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But now, even though it was renovated ten years ago, it still feels dated. All the big shops that used to attract people to the centre, including Woolworths and Littlewoods in the 70s and 80s, and more recently Tesco and The Range, have all closed down. The Range shut its doors just a year ago.

Now, the centre is full of empty shops, some of them really big. Cheshire Live visited to speak to people inside, Adam Killen, 29, who works as a barber in Runcorn's Old Town, said it's: "A shopping centre with no shops in it."

Gail Mayers who is 61 and was shopping with her daughter, Lisa, said "There's nothing here. It's always been the same." Lisa added: "We've had everything in here but it's getting worse, emptier. Even the bank has shut down." The 35-year-old, pointed towards the old Santander branch that's now empty.

There are adverts on the windows of this empty shop and others saying 'Excellent retail space' 'Make this space your own'. Gail and Lisa recall shops that used to be in the centre, including B&M.

The empty shop left when B&M moved to