WOOLWORTHS stores in the News Shopper area will be among the first to shut when the chain begins closing down next week.

The stores will be closing in blocks of 200 with seven in the region shutting for good on December 27.

Those stores are the branches in Bexleyheath, Blackheath, Bromley, Gravesend, Lewisham, Orpington and Penge.

The next set will close on December 30 and 200 more will close on January 2 next year.

Woolies remaining stores will close to the public on January 5.

The administrator, Deloitte, says 300 of the stores are under offer and there is a lot of interest in the other 500 stores.

It has received interest in and offers for the Woolworths brand name, and the Ladybird and Chad Valley brands.

Joint administrator Neville Kahn said: “Whilst negotiations for the sale of Woolworths’ retail arm remain ongoing, and we continue to speak to new interested parties, regrettably we have had to begin a store closure programme. “We are extremely grateful to the staff and management for their support throughout this difficult time.

“We are confident that we will sell the leases of the 300 stores currently under offer and are hopeful that our ongoing discussions with other parties will also prove successful.” The administrators are working with the Redundancy Payments Office and Job Centre Plus to support staff including fast tracking redundancy money.

New stock, including DVDs, CDs and toys, will be put on the shelves this week with discounts of up to 60 per cent.