MORE than 50 jobs are to go in Hampshire after the buyer of a collapsed retail chain moved to close two thirds of its UK stores.

Peacocks’ administrators KPMG said the privately owned Scottish group Edinburgh Woollen Mill had acquired 388 of its 612 stores, which would safeguard around 6,000 jobs, including those working at 18 branches across Hampshire.

But Southampton’s city centre branch is to close with the loss of 34 jobs and the city’s Portswood Road branch is shutting with 10 jobs going.

Basingstoke’s store will close, losing 14 jobs. However, the sale is good news for Southampton’s remaining stores in Bitterne, Shirley and Locks Heath and in Eastleigh, Lymington, Ringwood, Fareham and Gosport.