Furniture chain Walmsley's goes into administration

Furniture store Walmsley's has gone into administration, closing stores in Staffordshire and the Black Country.

Stores in Stafford, Dudley and Walsall all closed their doors suddenly yesterday, but the head office in Wednesbury and the Wolverhampton store remain open.

An unnamed new buyer has taken on 25 out of more than 60 stores run by the company. It is unclear how many jobs have been lost.

Leonard Curtis Business Rescue & Recovery have been appointed administrators. In a statement the company said: "A sale was completed immediately following the appointment to an unconnected company.

"The sale included all of the stock of the business and the buyer has taken over 25 of the stores."

The Wolverhampton store at Snow Hill and a branch in Northfield, Birmingham, are thought to be among the stores that have been saved.

Stores at Castle Street in Dudley and Bradford Street, Walsall, were both closed yesterday with notes in the window telling customers that the store had closed permanently.

The firm's Stafford store in Princes Street was also closed yesterday.