STAFF at three Hampshire branches of shoe shop Dolcis have lost their jobs after the Above Bar store and two concessions were axed by administrators of the debt stricken company.

Already slated for closure, the Above Bar shop was ordered to close on Monday as was the Dolcis concession in Bay Trading in The Mall shopping centre and another in Portsmouth.

Staff there are among 600 laid off by administrators KPMG, which closed 89 outlets.

The other Southampton concession in Envy in WestQuay shopping centre continues to trade while administrators try to find a buyer for the remaining chain of 95 outlets.

Brian Green, joint administrator and KPMG restructuring partner, said: "Dolcis is to some extent a victim of the tough trading conditions in which the retail sector is currently operating. Earlier this month KPMG and the British Retail Consortium reported that footwear sales fell for the third consecutive month in December, with the mass market hit hardest, as even large discounts failed to tempt sufficient customers."