Confusion over future of Swindon Wilko stores

The GMB Union has claimed that all 400 Wilko stores across the UK will close by early October.

This comes after a list was released last Thursday stating that neither of the Swindon branches of Wilko were among those named by the troubled store chain as earmarked for closure.

But today, the GMB Union claims, that a rescue deal for the chain has fallen through with HMV's Doug Putman, who had hoped to keep up to 300 Wilko stores open, stating that rising costs complicated the deal meaning that his bid failed.

The company announced insolvency last month with the futures of some 12,000 staff in about 400 shops throughout the country thrown into jeopoardy.

Administrators are expected to announce the details of further redundancies and store closures soon.

Last week the administrators at Price Waterhouse Coopers announced that some 1,016 redundancies would be made at 52 shops across the country with the stores closing tomorrow and Thursday.