HUNDREDS of staff across the county face a bleak Christmas with the collapse of the Unwins off-licence chain.

The Kent-based company that dates back to Victorian times, went into administration with debts estimated at more than £30 million.

A total of 1,400 staff have been laid off across the country, mainly in Unwins’ south east stronghold.

The chain operated around 350 stores, many of them in Kent and Medway. They include West Malling, Borough Green, Pembury, Tonbridge, Brasted, near Sevenoaks, Meopham, Hythe, and Penenden Heath, near Maidstone.

All stores are now shut and the headquarters in Victoria Road, Dartford, is locked.

Tough competition from supermarkets has been blamed for the collapse of a company founded in the 1830s.

Unwins’ stores has struggled to find a successful new formula to combat supermarket domination, with some adding groceries to wine, beers and spirits.

In March, the company was taken over from the Wetz family by DM Private Equity, a London-based investment company with little experience of retailing. DM is now claiming that it was misled by the sellers.

KPMG is handling the administration. Myles Halley, joint administrator, said: “Unwins has suffered, like other off-licence chains, from increased competition from supermarkets and tight margins.

“The directors have tried unsuccessfully to restructure or sell the busines and it is evident that this company is making excessive losses and has no stock to continue to trade.

“I appreciate it is a particularly difficult time of year to announce such news but we have no alternative but to cease trading and make these redundancies.”

KPMG is seeking buyers for the freehold and leashold stores, as well as Unwins’ freehold head office in Dartford.

It said it was in early talks with a number of interested parties.