A West Kent chain of estate agents has closed its five branches with the loss of 22 jobs.

Tunbridge Wells-based DB Estates told staff of the decision at a meeting, amid a county-wide drop in would-be buyers.

The branches that have closed are the head office in Tunbridge Wells and also offices at Tonbridge, Pembury, Brenchley and Sevenoaks.

Howard Kingsnorth, who lost his job as manager of the Tonbridge branch as part of the redundancies, said the news was a shock to all concerned.

He said: "There was a meeting at the end of the working day. I suppose you always think you are going to go on, but everybody was made redundant."

The firm's business consultant Paul Bentley of PJB Business Development said the company had ceased trading. He said this did not automatically lead to voluntary liquidation as, in theory at least, "somebody could step in and want to do something else with it."

He said: "What they are trying to do is put something in place for the lettings to be looked after, because that is on-going. In terms of the sales there is nothing happening."