AROUND 90 jobs are to go in Ballymena, Co Antrim, following the decision by the Stewart 5/Crazy Prices Group to close the Crazy Prices store at the Tower Shopping Centre at the end of this month.

It plans to concentrate its efforts on maintaining the profitability of the Stewarts outlet in the town.

The closure is being linked to the opening in Ballymena last November of Northern Ireland's first Sainsbury's store.

Stewarts/Crazy Prices confirmed that its decision had been caused by "the oversubscribed nature of the market in Ballymena".

The group said that having two major trading sites in the town could not be economically justified.

Group managing director Mr Malcolm Lynch said that he regretted the closure, and the loss of employment for the 58 part time and 23 full time staff.