'Landmark' Toys R Us sign to be sold at auction

The Toys R Us store at the Copdock Interchange closed in 2018

A landmark sign from a now-closed shop is set to be auctioned off.

The Toys R Us store at the Copdock Interchange, near Ipswich, closed in 2018 after trading for 27 years.

A familiar sight for travellers on the A12 and A14, it is due to be replaced with a Marks & Spencer (M&S) supermarket, pending planning approval.

Ipswich Borough Council-owned Ipswich Borough Assets (IBA) said it would arrange for the sign to be taken down and sold off once the redevelopment was officially approved.

"The removal and auction of the Toys R Us sign marks the end of an era and the beginning of exciting new retail for Ipswich," said IBA chairman, Colin Kreidewolf.

"It has become something of a totem pole for people coming towards Ipswich and once they reach the Toys R Us sign, they know they are close to home."

'Sentimental value'

The BBC asked how much the sign was expected to sell for, but IBA said it did not currently "have any additional information on the auction process".

It did, however, add that it hoped the long-standing, colourful fixture would "go to a good home which will appreciate the sentimental and nostalgic value" of the sign.

Mr Kreidewolf said any money raised would be used to benefit the local community and support "essential council services many residents rely on".

He said there had been a number of queries from people wanting to buy the sign ever since IBA acquired the site.

"I watch some of the antique shows on TV and, while this is not an antique, some of the old metal signs on there do raise quite a little bit of money, so why shouldn't this one?" he said.

"There are collectors for everything."

M&S plans to build a new store on the former Toys R Us site

The decision to sell the sign comes just under three months after M&S announced plans to open its 60,000-sq-ft (5,500-sq-m) "show-stopping" food and clothing store.

Bosses estimate the new store, which will see the former Toys R Us building demolished and replaced, will create more than 90 jobs.

"With the arrival of M&S, we're welcoming a fantastic addition to the town, bringing quality shopping and new opportunities for residents," said Mr Kreidewolf.