Two BrightHouse stores in Kent are to close as part of the company's rationalisation programme.

The retailer, which offers customers a rent-to-own payment system, has announced it will close 30 stores across the country over the next two months - about 10% of its entire estate.

Two stores to close in Kent are in Maidstone in The Mall shopping centre and in Gravesend in the Thamesgate Centre.

The company said staff had been informed.

Across the country 350 jobs will be lost. The firm currently employs around 3,000 people.

In its last set of trading results, BrightHouse revealed that it had pre-tax losses of £22.1m in the six months to September 29.

A BrightHouse spokesman said: “We have taken the very difficult decision to close 30 stores. We are working to redeploy as many people as possible into alternative roles, but redundancies will be inevitable.

"We will be speaking to all customers affected by the store closures and either transferring them to another local store or serving them online. We’re also introducing PayPoint, allowing customers to pay BrightHouse in cash at 28,000 locations across the UK.”

Rent-to-own customers make monthly payments on a products such as a refrigerator or television until they have paid in full.

But with interest charged on the loan, the total repaid can greatly exceed the original purchase price.

However, the Financial Conduct Authority has announced plans to cap the amount of interest that rent-to-own retailers can charge, and from April the maximum interest paid will be no more than the cost of the product itself. So, if a cooker costs £400, customers will pay no more than £800.

This news follows yesterday's announcement that HMV will close two stores in the county.