TWO of Wiltshire's best known stores are in danger of closing after it was announced Debenhams was in administration today (April 9, 2019).

The stores in Salisbury and Swindon, together with the one in Bath will continue to trade while administrators seek a buy or to sell individual stores or to simply close the lot down and sell off the assets.

Around 25,000 jobs are at stake, as Debenhams has 166 stores, although about 50 branches had already been earmarked for closure in the future.

Mike Ashley's Sports Direct put in £150m in a bid to take control but that has failed and so the stores are now in the hands of the banks and lenders who include US hedge funds, Silver Point and GoldenTree.

Debenhams has already passed through a pre-pack administration process which allows a company to sell itself, or its assets, as a going concern, without affecting the operation of the business. Pre-packs are no guarantee though and often end in eventual closure and job losses.

So now there is considerable doubt for the Wiltshire workers a the stores as they hope a buy can be found.

It comes against a backdrop of closures of shops on the high street as more people shop online.