Administrators have revealed the three of four Wilko stores in Cornwall will close after failing to secure a rescue deal for the whole business.

PwC, which was appointed to oversee the insolvency last month, stated the stores in St Austell and Truro are scheduled to close on September 14, with the store in Falmouth closing two days earlier on September 12.

They are among 52 Wilko stores around the country that are earmarked to close despite a buyout of some by B&M.

Wilko in Redruth is not on the list but it is not known if the store has been purchased or could close at a later date.

PwC, which was appointed to oversee the insolvency last month, said it remains in talks with parties interested in buying the remaining parts of the business.

Rival retailer B&M has bought up to 51 other Wilko stores in a deal worth up to £13 million.

Administrators added on Wednesday that “it is possible that further store closures may regrettably be necessary”, depending on talks with remaining suitors.

It is understood that HMV owner Doug Putman is still in discussions with PwC over a possible deal to save a significant number of stores.

Joanna Kenny, the Lib Dem prospective parliamentary candidate for St Austell and Newquay, said: “Sad news about Wilko in Cornwall, with an announcement today that three of the four stores in Cornwall, including St Austell, being on the list of closures next week, with only the store in Redruth not included in the first list of closures.

"There are press reports that B&M has agreed the purchase of 51 stores and that HMV is still in negotiation for a partial purchase but no news yet on which stores are concerned and clearly any store will be rebranded if they are rescued with no guarantee that the same staff will be employed. 

“A comment by Wilko’s administrators, PwC, that “it is possible that further store closures may regrettably be necessary” could mean that none of the closed stores are part of these potential rescue packages.

“A worrying time for the store’s workers. 

“Several retailers are reported to be offering Wilko staff the opportunity to apply for roles in their stores, including Tesco, Aldi and The Works but are there sufficient vacancies to absorb all those made redundant?

“The closure of their store will be of particular concern to the residents and fellow businesses in St Austell, where local people right across the town this summer have told me of their worries for the economic future of the town centre; loss of Wilko following the closure of Poundstretcher, creating a big hole in the town’s offering, will only increase those concerns.”

Ruth Gripper, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Truro and Falmouth, added: “This is devastating news - first and foremost for the Wilko staff locally who are now facing redundancy.

"It will be a hugely worrying time for them and their families.

"And for the wider community, it’s a further blow to the high street in our town centres, and a sign of the pressures on the high street. Wilko’s closure will leave a big gap.” 

The raft of closures next week will lead to 1,016 redundancies, while the company has also announced hundreds of further job losses affecting warehouse and service centre staff.

Edward Williams, joint administrator, said: “In the absence of viable offers for the whole business, very sadly store closures and redundancies of team members from those stores are now necessary.

“The loss of these stores will be felt not only by the team members who served them with such dedication, including through the uncertainty of recent weeks, but also the communities which they have been a part of.”