HMV in St Helens is to be one of 66 stores to close within four to six weeks, it has been confirmed.

Sources have told the Star that a conference call was held earlier this morning with administrators Deloitte, informing staff of the news.

It is understood that 930 staff will be affected across the UK at the entertainment retailer, with ten jobs to go in St Helens, based at Church Square Shopping Centre.

Deloitte says the stores will close because they are "loss making".

The closure will represent the latest hammer blow to the town centre and follows on from the axing of film and game store Blockbuster on Bridge Street.

HMV currently operates from 220 stores in the UK. The Warrington and Wigan stores will also close.

But illustrating that this does not just affect town high streets, is the fact that five HMVs are listed for closure in Edinburgh and others in cities such as Manchester, Leeds and London.

Nick Edwards, Joint Administrator, said: “As part of our ongoing review of HMV’s financial position, we have now completed a review of the store portfolio and have identified 66 loss making stores for closure.

"This step has been taken in order to enhance the prospects of securing the business’ future as a going concern.

“We continue to receive strong support from staff and are extremely grateful to them for their commitment during an understandably difficult period. All other key stakeholders remain very supportive and I continue to be hopeful of securing a future for the restructured business.”

Nick Edwards, Rob Harding and Neville Kahn were appointed Joint Administrators of HMV on 15 January 2013.

The 66 stores identified for closure are:
Ashton-under-Lyne, Ballymena, Barnsley, Bayswater, Belfast Boucher Road, Belfast Forestside, Bexleyheath, Birkenhead, Birmingham Fort, Blackburn, Boston, Bournemouth Castlepoint, Bracknell, Burton-upon-Trent, Camberley, Chesterfield, Coleraine, Craigavon, Croydon Centrale, Derry, Dumfries, Durham, Edinburgh Fort, Edinburgh Gyle Centre, Edinburgh Ocean, Edinburgh Princes Street, Edinburgh St James, Falkirk, Fulham, Glasgow – Fort, Glasgow – Silverburn, Glasgow Braehead, Huddersfield, Kirkcaldy, Leamington Spa, Leeds White Rose, Lisburn, Loughborough, Luton, Manchester 90, Moorgate, Newry, Newtonabbey, Orpington, Rochdale, Scunthorpe, South Shields, Speke Park, St Albans, St Helens, Stockton-on-Tees, Tamworth, Teesside, Telford, Trocadero, Wakefield, Walsall, Walton-on-Thames, Wandsworth, Warrington, Watford, Wellingborough, Wigan, Wood Green, Workington, Wrexham.
 

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