TJ Hughes to close

TJ Hughes in Rochdale, based in the Wheatsheaf Centre, will close, administrators have announced.

Up to 40 jobs will be lost and the store will shut within the next seven days.

Administrators of the department store chain have announced that 22 stores across the country will close.

Joint administrator Tom Jack said: "It is regrettable that we have had to schedule these store closures and we are extremely grateful to the employees and management at all the group's stores, at the head office and at warehouses for their loyalty and support during what has been a very difficult and uncertain time.

"We continue in negotiations with a number of interested parties for a large number of the remaining stores in the group's portfolio, and we are keen to stress that those stores unaffected by these closures will continue to trade for the time being, with new stock lines being added."

The chain called in the administrators in June after a difficult period of trading.

Debbie O’Brien, Chief Executive of Rochdale Town Centre Management, said: “This is extremely sad news for the staff in the store many of whom have been there for a very long time. 

“Unfortunately this is an issue facing many other towns across the country with the chain now in administration.

“We have been working closely with the Council to put the staff in touch with redundancy support, and now need to look to the future and the new development which we are confident will create jobs for local people"

The other stores to close, include: Shrewsbury, Birkenhead, Dumfries, Dundee, Widnes, Wolverhampton, Stretford, Bolton, Boscombe, Burnley, Chester, Crawley, Hull, Kettering, Kidderminster, Macclesfield, Nuneaton, St Helens, Walsall, Watford and Weston-super-Mare.

A spokesperson for the Wheatsheaf Centre was unavailable for comment.