Thirty six jobs to go as TJ Hughes closes in Shrewsbury

More than 1,000 jobs, including 36 in Shropshire, are to be lost after administrators of department store chain TJ Hughes announced the last day of trading of 22 of its stores.

Ernst & Young said the stores would close next week, with 1,061 jobs going.

The company's store in Shrewsbury's Pride Hill Shopping Centre is among those to close on August 10.

Other stores in Wolverhampton, Walsall and Kidderminster will also close The company is continuing to seek a sale of its remaining business and assets.

Joint administrator Tom Jack said: "It is regrettable that we have had to schedule these store closures and we are extremely grateful to the employees and management at all the group's stores, at the head office and at warehouses for their loyalty and support during what has been a very difficult and uncertain time.

"We continue in negotiations with a number of interested parties for a large number of the remaining stores." Liverpool-based TJ Hughes called in administrators in June.

But there was some good news today as an Oswestry company announced it was taking on 20 staff and offering a lifeline to self-employed construction wor- kers struggling in the recession. Elements Europe Ltd says it has a growing order book for its modular buildings which include "instant" hotels such as one put up for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.