12:07pm Thursday 23rd February 2012
By Kelly Smale
THIRTY-EIGHT jobs will be lost and three shops will close in Bexley borough despite clothing retailer Peacocks being saved from administration.
On February 22 The Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group, based in Scotland, stepped in to save 6,000 retail jobs after agreeing to buy the troubled clothing chain for an unclosed sum.
The group has taken over 388 stores, 57 concessions and three distribution centres leaving the remaining 224 shops to close with immediate effect.
Staff have been made redundant at Peacocks stores in Crayford Road in Crayford, Erith Riverside Shopping Centre and Broadway in Bexleyheath.
However 19 jobs have been saved at the store in Cannon Retail Park in Thamesmead.
Erith and Thamesmead MP Teresa Pearce said: "It's very sad for Erith as the shopping centre has become vibrant in the past 12 months and to have such a large vacant premises will be a backward step.
"However I have no doubt everything will be done to try to find a new business to fill the space.
"That said my main concern is for the 15 staff members who will lose their jobs through no fault of their own when vacancies in Erith and Thamesmead become rarer by the week."
Chairman and chief executive of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group, Philip Day, said: "We look forward to working with our new colleagues to rebuild the business in what is a very tough economic environment for High Street retailers in the UK."
He added: "We do hope there will be scope to save more jobs and stores from those being forced to close now due to performance issues and overhead pressures."
Crayford - closing (11 staff)
Erith - closing (15 staff)
Thamesmead - open (19 staff)
Bexleyheath - closing ( 12 staff)
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