A Toy shop which has been a favourite among families for a generation may be faced with closure if sales do not improve.

A question mark has been hanging over Gamleys toy shop in The Mall Chequers, Maidstone, since March when the company as a whole began consultation into closures and staff redundancies.

The shop has been a familiar feature in The Mall for 30 years and many families will remember buying toys there.

However, the chain has been hit by the economic downturn and competition from cheaper toy sellers in recent years.

It emerged this week that the 15 full and part-time staff at the store have all been warned that their jobs are at risk, although managers have stressed that no decisions have yet been taken.

Since the consultation began, five of Gamleys 17 stores across the South East - including the Dover store - have been closed.

On Wednesday , manager of the Maidstone Gamleys, David Pickett, admitted: “We really don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Charles Bradford, one of Gamley’s directors, said: “The company as a whole...we have got financial difficulties like a lot of businesses but there has been no decisions made as regards the Maidstone store.

“The staff there are under consultation about the future of the business really and the difficulties that we have got.”

He added: “The company as a whole has had two difficult years - 2006/7. We have tried various things but without much success; the future isn’t bright. We have had to take action, such as closing a few stores.”

When consultation started in March, there were 17 Gamleys stores across the South East, but five have closed since then.