A QUESTION mark hangs over Worcester and Droitwich's Wilko stores after a union revealed it believes the majority of branches will close next week.

At a meeting held today (Wednesday), GMB Union said they were informed that the sale of a significant part of the business to a buyer has fallen through.

This means there is no longer any prospect that most of the business will be saved.

GMB advised that people should expect significant redundancies amongst store staff, though the timing is uncertain.

For staff in stores, there remains a possibility that some might be bought, either individually or as part of larger packages.

In the upcoming week, they said, redundancies will start for the staff at the Support Centre and the Distribution Centres (DCs) before the closure.

A spokesperson for GMB said: "In the meantime, stores will continue to trade, and staff will continue to be paid.

"The redundancy process has commenced for staff in the DCs and Support Centre as their operations reduce in line with any store programme.

"GMB will continue to support members through this process and will fight to ensure that members are consulted as per the law and that you receive every penny you are entitled to.

"We will not forget the incompetence that has led to this collapse, and we will not forget the dividends paid to the millionaires who gambled your jobs on their whims.

"We will fight to ensure they are held accountable for the simple reason you deserved so much better.

"We will update you further over coming days."