A CLOSING date for Ellesmere Port's Wilko store has now been confirmed.

The historic retailer has begun shutting across the UK, with hundreds of workers at the shops set for redundancy.

It comes after administrators confirmed all the group’s remaining shop, warehouse and support centre workers are set to lose their jobs.

As part of the closures, the Ellesmere Port Wilko shop, at the Port Arcades, will be closing down on Sunday, September 17.

A closing date for the Chester store on Foregate Street has yet to be confirmed, but all Wilko shops are due to be shut by early October.

Family-owned Wilko employed 12,500 staff and ran 400 shops before it hired administrators early last month after it came under pressure from weak consumer spending and debts to suppliers.

All its stores have continued to trade in recent weeks as it has worked through remaining stock, with the retailer discounting thousands of products.

Last week PwC confirmed that a number of shops would have to close for good after they were unable to secure a deal which would buy all of the firm’s shops.

Administrators are still in talks over deals to sell store properties, but are shutting down sites after failing to find a suitor who would take them on as Wilko shops and retain their staff.

GMB said the failure to secure a deal meant that remaining offers on the table are only likely to purchase a number of Wilko store properties, and are not expected to include workers.

PwC, who are overseeing the administration, has already agreed a roughly £13 million deal to sell up to 51 Wilko stores to rival B&M.

Chester MP Samantha Dixon said she had been into the Foregate Street store last week to see how staff were holding up and to offer any support she could.

Reacting to the news Wilko was closing down, the MP posted on social media: "Such terrible news and a loss to our high street. My heart goes out to all staff who are affected."

Ellesmere Port MP Justin Madders added it was "terrible, terrible news".