JOBS have been lost in Kent after the closure of three shoe shops.

Dolcis, the well-known high street retailer with outlets across the UK, went into administration earlier in the week.

Administrators KPMG said at the time they hoped to sell the chain as a going concern.

But many branches were closed immediately.

Out of 67 standalone Dolcis stores, 35 are continuing to trade, including Canterbury, Bexleyheath and Bromley. But 32 have already shut, including the outlet at Bluewater.

Dolcis also operates concession stores inside larger retailers.

There are 61 concession stores inside Bay Trading and they are all staying open, including Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells and Folkestone.

But all 57 concessions inside Envy, including Canterbury and Bluewater, have closed. A KPMG spokeswoman said precise numbers of jobs affected in Kent were not yet known.

KPMG is still hoping to find a buyer for the remaining stores.

Joint administrator Brian Green said on Monday: "Dolcis is a well recognised, long established High Street brand so we are hopeful of finding a buyer for it.

"Dolcis is to some extent a victim of the tough trading conditions in which the retail sector is currently operating. Earlier this month KPMG and the British Retail Consortium reported that footwear sales fell for the third consecutive month in December, with the mass market hit hardest, as even large discounts failed to tempt sufficient customers.

"While most businesses wait and see whether the recent dent to consumer confidence has a longer term impact on the wider economy, the retail sector and its suppliers operate at the sharp end; feeling the impact of tighter consumer spending with more immediacy and arguably acting as an indicator of trouble ahead for other sectors.

"There are, however, a significant number of positive factors about this business to make it an attractive acquisition and any interested parties should contact us for information."