NEARLY 1,000 Allders staff in Kent have been given a glimmer of hope after three stores were excluded from a list of 10 scheduled for closure.

Potential buyers of parts of the collapsed chain are understood to have expressed interest in Allders at Home, Aylesford, and the two larger stores in High Street, Chatham, and Bromley.

The Aylesford store employs 75 people, with a further 283 working in Chatham, and 606 in Bromley, a total of 964.

The 10 stores that will close include the flagship outlet in Oxford Street, London, as well as those in Bolton, Chelmsford, Horsham, Ipswich, Kingston, Leeds, Reading, Romford, and York Clifton Moor. One hundred and thirty staff will lose their jobs at the Croydon headquarters.

Allders, which has a total workforce of 5,700, went into administration with debts estimated at more than £150m.

But administrators failed to save the group as a going concern and are in talks with a number of groups interested in some of the remaining 35 stores. Harvey Lipsith, former chief executive, is reported to be interested in a dozen stores, with Debenhams and Bhs chief Philip Green also showing interest.

Administrator Andrew Pepper, of Kroll's Corporate Advisory and Restructuring Group, said: "We have already begun detailed negotiations with these bidders and our intention is to complete sales as quickly as possible.

"We expect that staff at these stores will transfer to the purchasers and believe that, in the present circumstances, this strategy will provide the optimum outcome for both creditors and employees.

"Whilst these negotiations are being progressed all 45 stores will remain open and trading will continue."

The joint administrators reported that trading was up on the same period a year ago, and paid tribute to the support and efforts of employees.

Customers who have already paid deposits have been advised to visit the store to have the options outlined. Administrators said they wanted to ensure that customers were not left out of pocket.

The chain has been hit by tough High Street competition, and its senior management criticised for what experts claim was a failed strategy.