Retailer set to axe 800 workers

Glasgow-based Bowie Castlebank Group is to shed 817 jobs across its businesses, which include photo-processing chains Klick Photopoint and Max Spielman and dry cleaner William Munro.

The company employed 1,664 people at 314 shops across the UK.

Blair Nimmo, joint administrator and head of restructuring for KPMG in Scotland, said: "It is with regret that we have had to make substantial redundancies across Bowie Castlebank's operations and we are currently working with government agencies to ensure the employees' issues are dealt with as quickly as possible."

The latest jobs blow comes the week after famous high street names Woolworths and MFI both went into administration.

In a statement, KPMG said the group's photo-processing business had been hit by the advance of digital photography.

And the reduced number of clothes needing dry-cleaning had led to the contraction of the cleaning business, the administrators added.

The company's turnover last year was £59.5 million. The firm explored several options to restructure or refinance but these were not successful, the administrators said.

Despite the heavy job losses, KPMG said there were currently no plans to close any of the outlets.

Mr Nimmo said: "We are marketing the business in an attempt to secure a sale of some of the group's stores or operations as a going concern."