Altrincham’s House of Fraser to close

Creditors have backed department store chain House of Fraser’s plans to close more than half its stores.

Three stores in the North West are to close in Altrincham, Birkenhead and Carlisle. The firm also revealed it is pulling the plug on plans for a store in Chester.

The troubled retailer will now go ahead and shut 31 of its 59 shops nationwide and impose big rent cuts on 10 others that it intends to keep through a company voluntary arrangement (CVA), a form of insolvency proceedings.

It came up with the rescue package last month, aimed at saving the company from collapse.

All stores identified for closure are anticipated to trade until early 2019.

Up to 6,000 jobs will go as a result of the store closures.