The country’s largest carpet store is set to go into administration, threatening the closure of hundreds of stores.

Carpetright has shops across Kent in Ashford, Canterbury, Dartford, Gillingham, Gravesend, Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Sittingbourne, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells and employs more than 1,800 staff across the UK.

The carpet and flooring retailer has filed a notice of intent to appoint administrators.

It is understood that experts from PwC are set to be appointed as part of the process, who will seek to find emergency funding or a rescue buyer for the troubled business.

Once a notice of intent to appoint administrators is filed, it gives companies around 10 days in which it can attempt to avoid insolvency.

The company operates 272 stores across the UK which are continuing to trade as normal.

Carpetright, which is owned by Nestware Holdings, has suffered from weaker demand for carpets as homeowners shifted towards hard flooring.

It was also the victim of a major cyber attack in April which halted trading.