One of two Waterstone's bookshops in York is to close with 22 jobs affected.

Parent company HMV Media found itself with two bookshops nearly opposite one another in High Ousegate, when the organisation bought out the Dillons chain three years ago.

Now the former Dillons bookshop, since re-branded to Waterstone's at Number 9/10, is to shut its doors.

It is one of eight Waterstone's branches due to close "after a period of consultation" by 2003, but it is understood that the ill-fated York branch will go next March.

In a statement, the book retailer said that after a review it was decided "to close those shops not matching Waterstone's trading requirements".

Attempts would be made to redeploy all affected staff within the company. It was unclear at this stage how many more staff over and above the 27 at the continuing Waterstone's could be taken on.

Other Waterstone's to close are in Aberdeen, Kingston-upon-Thames, three small shops in London, and academic campus site satellites at Trinity, Carmarthen and St James's Hospital, Leeds.

Waterstone's says the cull is part of a £10 million investment programme which will be concentrated on its remaining 197 branches in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The company will also be looking at ways of reducing the costs of its e-commerce business.

A spokesperson for the company said the closure had nothing to do with the "book wars" that broke out in York and elsewhere where Borders, American-style bookstores, moved in.

"Even in Glasgow, where Borders has its flagship, Waterstone's is doing singularly well," said the spokesperson.

The closures follow a review of the company by Brian McLaughlin, its acting managing director who is also chief operating officer of the HMV Media Group.

Updated: 10:25 Tuesday, May 01, 2001