HMV confirms closure of 66 stores

Deloitte, the administrators for HMV have today announced that 66 of the retail chain's stores will close over the next two months.

For the past week rumours have suggested the figure might have been anything up to a hundred but Nick Edwards from Deloitte confirmed the number to the BBC earlier today, "This step has been taken in order to enhance the prospects of securing the business' future as a going concern, we continue to receive strong support from staff and are extremely grateful to them for their commitment during an understandably difficult period. All other key stakeholders remain very supportive and I continue to be hopeful of securing a future for the restructured business."

These closures will mean that nearly a thousand staff will be affected although no date has been confirmed for when administrators intend to start closing doors on the following stores for the last time:

England: Ashton-under-Lyne, Barnsley, Bayswater, Bexleyheath, Birkenhead, Birmingham Fort, Blackburn, Boston, Bournemouth Castlepoint, Bracknell, Burton-upon-Trent, Camberley, Chesterfield, Croydon Centrale, Durham, Fulham, Huddersfield, Leamington Spa, Leeds White Rose, Loughborough, Luton, Manchester 90, Moorgate, Orpington, Rochdale, Scunthorpe, South Shields, Speke Park, St Albans, St Helens, Stockton-on-Tees, Tamworth, Teesside, Telford, Trocadero, Wakefield, Walsall, Walton-on-Thames, Wandsworth, Warrington, Watford, Wellingborough, Wigan, Wood Green, Workington.

Scotland: Dumfries, Edinburgh Fort, Edinburgh Gyle Centre, Edinburgh Ocean, Edinburgh Princes Street, Edinburgh St James, Falkirk, Glasgow - Fort, Glasgow - Silverburn, Glasgow Braehead, Kirkcaldy.

Northern Ireland: Ballymena, Belfast Boucher Road, Belfast Forestside, Coleraine, Craigavon, Derry, Lisburn, Newry, Newtownabbey.

Wales: Wrexham.