The Chronicle visited House of Fraser this evening to see it's doors close for good at 7 pm, but shutters were down well-passed closing time. 

Distressed customers, who had bought pre-paid clothes rails, crowded outside as security guards banged on the grates to get the staff inside's attention. 

A guard told The Chronicle that the store was shut when he started his shift at 6 pm, and when he tried to get the staff to open up they yelled at him "we're closed" from inside. 

A customer outside said: "I bought four rails and two were just left outside the shutters, we now can't get the other two."

The Chronicle spoke to a member of floor staff from House of Fraser who said: "We weren't told we were going to close early, they just announced it over the speakers."

She continued: "Maybe it's because they wanted to pack up early."

Ms Samara Woodley, another customer, spoke to The Chronicle and expressed her distress at House of Fraser closing early.

"I'm literally moving in," she said. "They told me they closed at 7 so not sure what's going on."

The shutters finally opened and the store's manager emerged, letting the customers in for a short period of time to grab their purchased rails.

Ms Woodley came back out with two rails she bought, but was not able to find the table she had also purchased.

When she asked staff where it was, they told her to leave saying "we're closed, you have to get out."