NEW Look will close its Portswood store as part of plans to shut 60 of its shops - axing 980 jobs across the country in the process.

The chain, which has several stores in the area, aims to slash rent on nearly 400 shops as part of a rescue deal, the company has said.

Its other stores in Westquay, ShirleyEastleigh, RomseyWinchester and Fareham will remain open.

New Look said it was looking to close nearly 10 per cent of its 593-strong UK store estate, with a further six sites that are sub-let also due to shut as it pushes ahead with a company voluntary arrangement (CVA).

It said the closures would lead to redundancies, with up to 980 jobs out of its workforce of 15,300 under threat, although it said it would look to redeploy staff where possible.

Its rescue plan will also see the group ask landlords to slash the rent and revise leases on 393 stores across the UK.

Alistair McGeorge, executive chairman of New Look, said: "Given our challenged trading performance and over-rented UK store estate, we are having to take tough but necessary actions to reduce our fixed cost base and restore long-term profitability."

New Look confirmed that all stores will remain open as normal until creditors vote on the CVA proposal on March 21.

List of stores which are set to close

Here is a run down of the 60 stores set to close out of New Look's 593 UK store estate:

- Aberdeen - Bon Accord
- Beckton
- Bolton Mens
- Borehamwood
- Brynmawr
- Burton Mens
- Cameron Toll
- Cardiff - Queen Arcade
- Cheshunt
- Clevedon
- Craigleith
- Doncaster Mens
- Dundee - Wellgate
- Exeter Mens
- Fleet
- Gateshead - Team Valley
- Glasgow - Buchanan Street Mens
- Gorleston
- Hanley Mens - Intu Potteries
- Hounslow Mens
- Hull - Whitefriargate
- Keynsham
- Kingswood
- Leeds - The Core Shopping Centre
- Leicester - Haymarket
- London - Marble Arch
- London - Moorgate/ London Wall
- London - Oxford Circus
- Maidenhead
- Maidstone Mens
- Merry Hill Mens
- Metro Centre - Mens
- Monmouth
- Newport Mens
- Newton Mearns
- North Shields
- Nottingham Mens
- Ocean Terminal
- Peterbrough Bridge Street
- Pontypool
- Portswood
- Ramsgate
- Reading - Broad Street
- Reading Oracle Mens
- Rhyl
- Romford Mens
- Rugby
- Shrewsbury Mens
- Sidmouth
- Stockport - Merseyway
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Stratford Upon Avon -Bridge Street
- Thornaby
- Tonypandy
- Torquay - Union Street
- Tredegar
- Troon
- Wallsend
- Weston Favell
- Wigan Mens