The centre, which has struggled to attract new tenants for a number of years  has been acquired by Northumberland County Council. A statement from the council reads that a development plan for the huge site which is in the heart of the town centre is already in place. The site will include the second phase of the Energy Central campus. The Campus will be a new higher-level skills and innovation facility, developing expertise at degree and PhD levels to keep Blyth at the forefront of clean energy growth.

Read the whole statement from NCC here.

Many residents of the town will of course remember the mall in it's heyday. Some huge names have come and gone over the years. A sign at the entrance to the car park claimed the centre offered "Everything you need under one roof" And while that was never really accurate, you could at least browse some of the high street's bigger names, Adams, Geordie Jeans, Etam, Dorothy Perkins, Thorntons, Crazy Georges to mention only a few of the stores of the past.

When the centre was built in the 1980's, some of the towns most iconic buildings were demolished to make way for it, now it seems the Keel Row will also face the wrecking ball.

More to follow.