House of Fraser in Bluewater is safe for now amid the troubled retailer closing 31 stores across the UK.

The department store chain has announced 31 of its 59 stores are set to shut across the UK and Ireland as part of a rescue plan, with up to 6,000 jobs under threat.

House of Fraser said the planned closures, which include its Oxford Street store, come as part of a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) – a controversial insolvency procedure in vogue among struggling retailers.

If the CVA is approved by landlords, it will affect up to 2,000 House of Fraser staff and a further 4,000 across brands and concessions.

The retailer has a history stretching back almost 170 years and is one of the country's best-known fashion brands.

The retail giant began with a single drapery shop, opened in Glasgow by Hugh Fraser and James Arthur in 1849.

It grew steadily, becoming House of Fraser in 1941, then took hold as a national chain after the Second World War.

Over the years, the business has acquired numerous companies, including Harrods, which is now privately owned.

House of Fraser has been owned by Egyptian-born billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed and before that by the Fraser family, from which it takes its name.

It was bought by Chinese conglomerate Sanpower Group for £480 million in 2014.

Like other retailers, House of Fraser has struggled over the past few years as stiff competition from online rivals and the slump in consumer confidence have knocked the firm.

It forced Sanpower to seek outside help in the form of a stake sale to Hamley's owner C.banner.

Frank Slevin, chairman of House of Fraser, said: “Our legacy store estate has created an unsustainable cost base, which without restructuring, presents an existential threat to the business.

“So whilst closing stores is a very difficult decision, especially given the length of relationship House of Fraser has with all its locations, there should be no doubt that it is absolutely necessary if we are to continue to trade and be competitive.”