Children's shop Adams closes stores

Hundreds of staff lost their jobs today as childrenswear chain Adams closed 111 stores, including its two in Shropshire.

The news comes as administrators battle to find a buyer for crystal and china maker Waterford Wedgwood after its collapse put 2,700 jobs there at risk.

PricewaterhouseCoopers, which was appointed Adams administrators on New Year's Eve, said the job losses were "inevitable" but added that it had received a number of expressions of interest in the business and brand.

The remaining 160 Adams stores remain open while efforts are made to secure a sale. Adams continues to employ 2,350 staff.

But the stores in Pride Hill Shopping Centre, Shrewsbury, and Oswestry, along with 109 others, will close immediately.

Waterford Wedgwood – best known for Wedgwood pottery, Royal Doulton and Waterford crystal – has appointed receivers to parts of its Irish business and administrators at its UK arm.

The UK business employs about 1,900 retailing and manufacturing staff, including 600 at its manufacturing base in Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent.

The Irish arm employs about 800 staff based in Waterford.

• Gordon Brown will be visiting the West Midlands on Thursday as part of a regional tour in which he will spell out to voters how the Government proposes to create new jobs during the economic slump. The Prime Minister is expected to meet the public and business leaders and hear more about their current difficulties following a meeting in Whitehall today of the regional economic forum.