THE administrators for retailer Wilko have denied they plan to close stores next week.

Wilko, which has a store in Chester and Ellesmere Port, announced it had fallen into administration earlier this month after failing to secure a rescue deal, putting more then 12,500 jobs across the UK at risk.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has taken over the administration process for Wilko.

However, the GMB union - which represents more than 3,000 Wilko workers - has claimed the majority of Wilko stores are to shut "within weeks".

GMB said it was told in a meeting that "there is no longer any prospect that the majority of the business will be saved".

Joint administrators of Wilkinson Hardware Stores Ltd (Wilko) Jane Steer, Zelf Hussain and Edward Williams from PwC confirmed that it is "likely that there will be redundancies and store closures in the future" but there are "currently no plans to close any stores next week".

In a statement, they said: "Since our appointment as administrators of wilko we have held extensive discussions with parties who expressed an interest in buying all or part of the business.

"While discussions continue with those interested in buying parts of the business, it’s clear that the nature of this interest is not focused on the whole Group.

"Sadly, it is therefore likely that there will be redundancies and store closures in the future and it has today been necessary to update employee representatives.

"We know this will further add to the uncertainty felt by workers. We will be supporting staff through this deeply unsettling time, working closely with the government, JobCentre plus, unions and large employers to maximise possibilities for a rapid return to work for employees in the event of redundancies. 

"In the immediate term, all stores remain open, continue to trade and staff continue to be paid. Contrary to speculation, there are currently no plans to close any stores next week."