The government has said there is help being made available to businesses during the coronavirus outbreak, but quite a few big firms which operate in the county have called in administrators since the crisis began.

Some retailers were in trouble before the pandemic took hold, but the closure of many non-essential shops has pushed many over the edge and bosses have had to call in administrators, here are some in Kent which have.

Debenhams

Earlier today it was announced Debenhams is on the brink of collapse after its bosses confirmed it has filed a notice of intent to appoint administrators.

The move could potentially affect two Kent stores.

The struggling department store was reportedly considering the move last week to protect the company against legal claims from creditors during the coronavirus outbreak.

However, the move may affect the 22,000 workers employed by the company - who are currently on furlough - and the two remaining stores in the county, Gravesend and Broadstairs.

The department store went into administration in April of last year, eventually resulting in the closure of four stores in the county.

As part of the restructuring process, the chain closed outlets in Ashford, Chatham, Canterbury and Folkestone earlier this year.

There are 142 stores remaining across the UK.

Laura Ashley

Fashion giant Laura Ashley filed for administration after rescue talks were thwarted by the outbreak.

The retailer, which had been in trouble for some time, had been in talks with stakeholders over re-financing, but last month the firm announced it had revised cash flow forecasts, meaning it will not be able to secure funds in time to save the business.

The retailer hired advisers from PwC to oversee the administration on March 17, which meant jobs across the county were at risk.

There are six stores in the county, in Canterbury, Sevenoaks, Maidstone, Broadstairs, Tunbridge Wells and Tenterden.

In a statement, a spokesman for Laura Ashley said: “The company regrets to announce that the directors of the company, and of the named subsidiaries, have filed notices of intention to appoint Robert Lewis and Zelf Hussain as administrators.”

Cath Kidston

Earlier this month, a designer retailer with stores in Kent said it was in talks to appoint administrators.

Iconic British brand Cath Kidston had been seeking a buyer.

The firm has stores in Canterbury, Ashford and Bluewater in Dartford.

The fashion chain, famed for its unique take on vintage designs, filed a notice to appoint Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) as administrator on April 3.

Cath Kidston trades from more than 200 shops across the UK.

The development came as the coronavirus crisis continues to tighten its grip on the already struggling retail sector.

BrightHouse

The high street firm collapsed at the end of March amid the coronavirus crisis, putting 4,500 jobs at risk.

BrightHouse, the largest 'rent-to-own' retailer in the UK, filed for administration on March 30.

The firm, which had been struggling in recent years, is thought to have been toppled over the edge by the coronavirus outbreak.

It leaves 2,400 jobs hanging by a thread.

It forced the firm to close all its stores - including its branches in Kent, which includes outlets in Margate, Folkestone, Ashford, Chatham, Dover, Ramsgate and Dartford.

In 2019, branches in Maidstone and Gravesend had closed as part of restructuring.

Carluccio's

And popular restaurant chain Carluccio's also filed for administration at the end of March.

The collapse of the chain put more than 2,000 jobs at risk.

It was founded by chef Antonio Carluccio 21 years ago. The Italian restaurant firm appointed administrators because of coronavirus losses after being forced to close its restaurants amid the pandemic.

In Kent, the chain had branches at Bluewater, Canterbury's Fenwick store and in Tunbridge Wells.

The business appointed administrators within just 72 hours of Alok Sharma, the business secretary, setting out emergency reforms to insolvency rules.

Chiquito

Towards the end of last month, the popular Mexican restaurant chain moved to bring in administrators because of coronavirus losses.

The move could permanently close all of its Kent branches.

Chiquito, which is owned by parent company The Restaurant Group, has three sites across the county.

There are branches in Thanet's Westwood Cross, another at Eureka Park in Ashford and one in Medway Valley Leisure Park in Strood.

Of the chain's 81 nationwide stores, 61 will be permanently shutting, but a further 20 sites not owned by Chiquito Ltd will not be impacted.

A spokesman for The Restaurant Group - which also owns Wagamama and Frankie and Benny's - said: "As we announced in our update to the market on March 18, Covid-19 has had an immediate and significant impact on trading across the group.

Clarks

Footwear retailer Clarks will not reopen some of its stores once the coronavirus lockdown is lifted.

The high street stalwart, which has about a dozen branches in Kent, says the leases on a number of shops have not been renewed and they have permanently ceased trading.

A statement from the firm reads: "Clarks continually reviews all its stores to ensure that they are the right size and located in the right areas in order to provide the best possible service and offering to its customers.

As part of this normal review, we have decided not to renew the leases on a small number of stores and as such, these will cease to trade and will not reopen following the coronavirus closures.

"We have a strong duty of care to our employees and are doing everything we can to minimise the impact on colleagues."

The family-run company, which has about 6,000 employees, was founded almost 200 years ago.

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