DISTRAUGHT staff at Allders in York said today they feared for their futures, after hearing their store was to close and reopen as a Topshop.

All 27 workers at the Piccadilly store were told that it will shut on June 3 to undergo an extensive refit.

They have been offered help in finding alternative employment within the Arcadia group, which owns Topshop, and took over the store in February.

But many said they believed they would in effect be made redundant - a claim strenuously denied today by an Arcadia boss, who said employees had no reason to worry.

One unhappy worker said: "They have said that redundancy is the last option, but they can't guarantee us a job - we are in limbo.

"We have a lot of older workers here. How many people over 30 do you see working in Topshop?"

The news comes just weeks after Arcadia's chief, billionaire Philip Green, assured employees their jobs were secure.

His Bhs chain bought the store sandwiched between Piccadilly and Coppergate, plus nine other Allders outlets nationally from administrators.

At the time Mr Green told the Evening Press: "We are going to use the staff there. The intention is to use the staff."

One Allders staff member, who did not want to be named, said: "It's not right what's happened here. We were assured that we were going to keep our jobs - I'm gutted.

"Everybody has got mortgages and kids, that's why we work. We've been through hell here for the last couple of months. We will get help to find another job, but jobs aren't easy to come by.

"Philip Green said he was going to use his staff, and he has - used us as long as he wanted and then that's it."

Another unhappy worker said: "Everyone was in tears. Some have been here for more than ten years, it's really hard."

But Tony Brown, retail director of Bhs, said staff had no reason to worry.

"I can categorically, absolutely say we are not making redundancies," he said. "Everyone affected will be employed either at Bhs in York or will continue to work in York for one of our group stores."

"What Philip Green says, he does. There will be no redundancies whatsoever."

Mr Brown confirmed that Topshop branches in Coney Street, York, and at Monks Cross, Huntington, would remain open.

He added: "What is so frustrating is that this is a good news story for York. We have come in, taken over the site and protected employment. When we announced our plans the store was elated. They have all been worried for a number of months and us coming in was a breath of fresh air."

The Allders store in Clifton Moor, which failed to find a buyer, has already closed down.

Updated: 09:54 Saturday, April 16, 2005