CLEARANCE work has started inside an iconic Worcester building that has stood empty for nearly two years.

The distinctive Art Deco building with a landmark clocktower in Castle Street was formerly County Furnishings and was sold to the University of Worcester in 2015.

The listed building has stood empty since the shop closed its doors in the June of that year but, this week, workers have begun stripping out carpets and leftover interiors.

The university said the work was preparation for a forthcoming refurbishment of the building, which sits on the site of the old county jail.

It plans to transform the building into a high quality teaching space for art and illustration, linking with the university’s city campus, which is just across the road, in Infirmary Walk.

A spokeswoman for the University of Worcester said: “The University is carrying out preparatory work at the former County Furnishings site, which include stripping out carpets and removing redundant building services in advance of planned refurbishment work, which will create high quality new teaching facilities for art and illustration.

“The University has engaged architects GWP and is currently finalising its plans for the building, which will be submitted to the planning authority later this year.”

Known as Austin House, the County Furnishings building was designed by London architect John C S Soutar for Lord Herbert Austin, founder of the famous Austin Motors, which later became part of British Leyland and the Rover group.

It was completed in 1939 and was used as a repair centre and showroom.

Over the years, it was used by various car companies including H A Saunders, Mann Egerton and Rover. In the 1990s, it housed Rowe Carpets of Kidderminster.

The university’s ownership of the two sites re-establishes an historic link.

It is believed bodies were taken from the county jail to the former Worcester Royal Infirmary hospital via an underground tunnel.