NEWTON Abbot’s Wilko store is not among the 52 stores to close within the next few days. 

Administrators for the company, which went into administration last month, have announced the first tranche of locations to close after failing to secure a rescue deal for the whole business. 

Pricewaterhouse Coopers, which was appointed to oversee the insolvency last month, said it remains in talks with parties interested in buying the remaining parts of the business.

It comes a day after rival discount retailer B&M bought up to 51 other Wilko stores in a deal worth up to £13 million. 

Those stores are yet to be revealed.

Administrators added on Wednesday that ‘it is possible that further store closures may regrettably be necessary’, depending on talks with remaining suitors.

It is understood that HMV owner Doug Putman is still in discussions with PwC over a possible deal to save a significant number of stores.

The raft of closures next week will lead to to 1,016 redundancies, while the company has also announced hundreds of further job losses affecting warehouse and service centre staff.