A “devastated” sweet shop owner who is being forced to shut down her beloved business after Brexit has warned that Marlow will “look the same as any other town” if residents do not support independent retailers.

Lisa Arnold, who has run Beehive Treats on Spittal Street for five years, says she has been given no choice but to close the store she loves after Britain voted to leave the EU in June last year, a rise in business rates and shoppers not supporting local businesses.

The town saw a surge in sole traders celebrating a string of successes last year, with Marlow Bookshop, Track Coffee and The Italian Shop opening up in Marlow.

However, the former pop-up Italian deli, which became permanently established on Institute Road last year, has also closed this week.

Pop-up craft shop, Craft Coop, on Marlow High Street is also set to close at the end of the week, but they are hoping to reopen somewhere else in the town.

Ms Arnold has now urged residents to support local businesses before they are gone for good.

She said: “It is a lovely shop, it’s lovely to be here. Everyone has been so positive and so many nice comments. I think everyone will miss it. It is sad for the town, but if you want to keep it you have got to use it.

“Supermarkets have never had so many chocolates. It’s not their fault - why would you go into another shop when you can get it all there? It is really sad because I think Marlow will look the same as everywhere else soon.

“Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day is great for us, but on a rainy Monday morning in January and you have only served three customers by lunch time, that is when it’s hard. You need turnover all the time.”

Britain’s exit from the European Union – the process of which was formally triggered on Wednesday, nine months after the contentious referendum, also affected Ms Arnold’s business.

She said: “Brexit is massive for us – all our chocolates come from Belgium, Austria, Germany – all European products. And as soon as that happened, straight away everything went up by 12.5 per cent.

“When people voted out, I don’t think they realised how it would affect the little person.

“I love my shop. I am desperately sad but we can’t keep it going. I haven’t had any negative comments, everyone is really sad, but we have absorbed two price rises and Brexit and we haven’t passed that on to our customers.”

The shock news of the sweet shop’s closure comes as another independent store also closes its doors, leaving regular users distraught.

Sian Herschel, who shopped at the popular Italian Shop in Marlow High Street, which sold gifts and produce like wine and pasta, said she was “incredibly sad” to hear it was shutting.

She added: “In the year and a half since my family and I moved to Marlow the Italian "pop in" store (currently in its second location) has become one of our favourite local shops.

“It is just the kind of independent shop that Marlow needs to differentiate it from bigger towns and to attract locals and tourists into the town centre for shopping and recreation.”

What do you think of the closures? Get in touch with your view – email Stephanie.wareham@london.newsquest.co.uk.