UNCERTAINTY surrounds the future of Hampshire branches of curtains-to-bedding retailer Rosebys after the company's new bosses announced about 60 out of 400 stores nationwide are to close.

The news followed hard on the heels of a £51m management buyout of the retail chain from parent company Homestyle Group.

The ten-strong management team is led by managing director Tony Richards, financial director Mark Dyson and logistics director Tony Mannix.

The new line-up said it planned to press ahead with the previous management's plans to close 60 stores around the UK during the next two years.

But the firm remained tight-lipped about which are threatened with the axe.

A spokesman said nothing had been decided yet and described the list as a "rolling" programme. But it is understood the list features under-performing stores, those where the lease is set to expire and those that are too close to each other.

Management said there would be only "minimal" redundancies among the firm's 3,500 full and part-time staff, with all full-time workers being re-deployed.

There are 13 stores in Hampshire, employing 145 people. Two of the county's branches are in Southampton, one is in Fareham and another is in Eastleigh.

Rosebys is Britain's biggest home furnishings retailer with sales of nearly £200 million last year and profits of £8.8 million.

Mr Richards said the closure programme was a routine part of business for all major retailers.