MORE than 80 retail workers in North and East Yorkshire fear for their jobs as administrators liquidate Focus DIY Group stock.

Administrators Ernst and Young warned 3,000 jobs are at risk as they expected to close down the retail chain.

They said closing down sales would start this weekend at 120 stores that they have not yet managed to sell.

They said a number of Focus stores would be likely to close with remaining employees going through a redundancy process.

The Selby branch, which employs 17 people is left in limbo, while the locations of 55 stores already sold as a going concern have not been disclosed.

Thirty jobs in Harrogate, 19 in Beverley, 18 in Goole are also hanging in the balance after the £450 million-turnover national chain appointed administrators earlier this month.

The joint administrators, Simon Allport, Tom Jack and Alan Hudson from Ernst & Young, confirmed today they have appointed retail consultants Gordon Brothers to advise on the sale of all stock of the Focus DIY stores.

They said they still hoped to sell more stores and keep jobs, although they had not been able to find a buyer for the Focus DIY Group as a whole.

Simon Allport said: “We have been working hard to sell the business as a going concern and to maximise value for creditors. While we have been successful in securing up to 900 jobs from the sale of 55 stores in three separate deals, finding a buyer for the whole of the business has not been possible.

“UK retailers are facing one of the most challenging retail environments in recent times and the DIY sector has become highly competitive, with only the strongest players being able to thrive and survive,” he said.

Earlier this month Kingfisher plc, which owns rival B&Q, agreed to buy up to 31 of the retailer’s stores for £23 million. Wickes, which is owned by Travis Perkins plc, also agreed to buy 13 stores for £8.4 million.