STAFF from a popular cut price bridal shop which is facing eviction have issued a plea for help to find new premises.

The Oxfam Bridal shop in Clarkston has four weeks to pack up hundreds of new and nearly new dresses after being told their venue was going to be taken over.

Liz Sim, manager of the cut price bridal shop, said she had found out about the plans for coffee chain Costa to open up at the site over Christmas.

Liz said: "The shop started just as a window display two years ago, I asked if I could borrow a bit of space in an empty unit.

"It just grew arms and legs, now I've got hundreds of dresses and I could be out within four weeks.

"I've put a post online to say we've got these wedding dresses, I've got so many and they're some of the best we've ever had.

"They're absolutely beautiful dresses so I'm just trying to sell them now.

"Oxfam can't put forward a business case for another shop, so unless someone else can provide us with free premises we'll just have to close."

Landlords had let Liz use the space for free for two years as it had previously been empty, but Costa are set to take over if a planning application for the site is approved.

Liz added: "We get a lot of dresses come through our door, and there are happy and sad stories associated with them.

"Sometimes brides have pulled out at the last minute and called the wedding off, and they're left with the dress.

"There is good and bad that comes with it but I love helping people. It's also about the ethical side of it - you wear a dress once but then what do you do with it?

Previous customers have also spoken of their disappointment after finding out the shop will close.

Margaret Paton, who was helped by the shop after her wedding dress was lost in the post, said: "I can't thank Liz enough, she saved the day for me.

"I'm really disappointed it will be closing down, they helped me so much and I'm so grateful for my dress."

As reported by the Evening Times, local shop owners hit out at the plans for the hot drinks firm to open up in Clarkston, saying it would be detrimental to independent firms in the area.

At the time, a spokesman from Costa said they were "looking forward" to bringing the chain to the area, and said it would "widen customer choice and contribute to the town centre community."

A spokesman added: ""Investing in the High Street will bring 10 to 12 full time jobs to the local area and, from our experience, have a positive effect on footfall in the town centre."