Administrators release dates for last day of trading for 22 TJ Hughes stores, putting 1,061 employees out of a job.
Closing down sales will commence immediately at the affected stores, with the first, in Shrewsbury, set to close on Tuesday, August 10.

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."

August 11 will be the last day of trading for TJ Hughes stores in Birkenhead, Dumfries, Dundee, Rochdale, Widnes and Wolverhampton, while Stetford is set to close on the 13th.

Stores in Bolton, Boscombe, Burnley, Chester, Crawley, Hull, Kettering, Kidderminster, Macclesfield, Nuneaton, St Helens, Walsall, Watford and Weston-Super-Mare will close on August 14. The closures will see 1,061 staff members made redundant.

The announcement follows the news earlier this week that four TJ Hughes outlets had been bought by a firm associated with Benross Marketing. The same company also bought failed department store Lewis's, with a view to orchestrating its return to Liverpool.

More than 30 stores in the TJ Hughes portfolio will remain after this series of closures and administrators Ernst and Young plan to continue trading stock through the shops while it continues in its search for a buyer.

Mr Jack added: "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."