Latest news with #ChesterLeStreet
The Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
The Original Factory Shop is shutting EIGHT stores today after launching 80% off closing sales – is your local going?
THE Original Factory Shop is pulling down the shutters on eight of its high street branches today, with up to 80% off in massive closing down sales. The budget retailer, which sells everything from fashion and fragrance to homeware and gifts, is shutting up shop at locations across the UK as part of a major restructuring effort. 1 Shops in Pershore, Shaftesbury, Kidwelly, Arbroath, Normanton, Chester Le Street, Peterhead and Perth will all close for good by the end of today, Saturday, June 28. Here are all the ones closing down today: Perth Chester Le Street, County Durham Arbroath, Angus Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire Pershore, Worcestershire Normanton, West Yorkshire Peterhead, Aberdeenshire Shaftesbury, Dorset It comes just days after the Milford Haven branch in Pembrokeshire shut on Thursday, with three more stores already lined up to go next month, including the Staveley in Cumbria, Cupar in Fife, and Middlewich in Cheshire. Massive clearance sales have been launched at affected branches with prices slashed by as much as 80% on stock like beauty, pet products, jewellery and shoes. Shoppers at the Middlewich site have spotted some of the steepest discounts, while customers in Normanton and Pershore have also snapped up huge savings ahead of closing time. One local, reacting to news that the Arbroath store is among the latest to go, said: 'Another one bites the dust on the high street. "Going to be a ghost town soon enough.' Another said the Pershore closure marked 'the end of an era.' The wave of closures follows a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) launched earlier this year after private equity firm Modella Capital bought the chain in February. Modella, which also owns Hobbycraft and WHSmith 's high street shops, is trying to renegotiate rents on 88 stores to keep the business afloat. River Island confirms which 33 stores are shutting as a further 70 at risk in huge shake-up – is your local going? But The Original Factory Shop has warned that a 'number of loss-making stores' would have to shut to secure its future. A spokesperson said: 'Closing stores is always a tough decision… but this is dependent on successful negotiations with landlords as we strive to build a sustainable and successful business.' The Original Factory Shop has already closed more than a dozen branches since the start of the year, including sites in Harwich, Bodmin, Chepstow and Taunton. The three stores that are set to close in coming weeks are: HIGH STREET STRUGGLES The Original Factory Shop is not the only retailer suffering across the high street. The high street has faced a tough run in recent years, with online shopping booming while in-store sales slump and operating costs soar. In 2024 alone, more than 13,000 high street stores were shuttered for good, according to the Centre for Retail Research. It is also predicting the number of store closures to rise this year, blaming the increase on a hike to employer National Insurance contributions and the national minimum wage. The Centre has described the sector as going through a "permacrisis" since the 2008 financial crash This year, Beales, one of Britain's oldest department stores, launched a closing down sale before shutting its last remaining shop after more than 140 years. The company shut its branch in Poole's Dolphin Centre last month. Beales chief executive Tony Brown blamed the "devastating impact" of the rise in national insurance contributions and the higher minimum wage for the store closure. Meanwhile, high street fashion chain New Look has closed stores as it scales back its UK footprint. It is understood to be shutting nearly a quarter of its 364 shops.s. Reports suggest that the company has been forced to accelerate the pace of store closures due to tax changes in the Autumn Budget. Meanwhile, Huttons in London shut its store in the Putney Exchange due to excessive energy costs. The gift shop became a local icon after it opened in the 1990s. RETAIL PAIN IN 2025 The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April. A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024. Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020."
The Independent
6 days ago
- The Independent
Deputy head who bit and hit student avoids teaching ban
A deputy headteacher who bit, scratched and slapped a student has avoided a ban from the profession. Claire Herbert, who worked at Red Rose Primary School in Chester-Le-Street, County Durham, got into a fight with a student in June 2022. A Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel found her guilty of unacceptable professional conduct - but did not consider her risk of repeated offending to be significant enough to bar her from teaching. The panel was told how she caused reddening and bruising to various parts of the pupil's body during the altercation. The incident happened outside of school, where it appeared alcohol was involved. The child said they had been 'called fat' by the teacher and slapped and scratched by "Miss Herbert's false nails". A witness told the panel the child told them them Miss Herbert had left bite marks on their hand and head. She was referred to the TRA in April 2023 after she received a police caution for common assault. Ms Herbert said the incident was a 'blur' but said the argument 'became physical on both sides". The panel heard how the teacher 'accepted the blame as the adult in the situation.". The TRA in breach of teaching standards, but said the incident was 'out of character' and that Miss Herbert had shown "genuine and significant regret and remorse". It ruled that as the risk of repetition was "very low", prohibiting Miss Herbert from teaching for a period of at least two years would not "produce any material change or serve any useful purpose". The panel said: 'The panel therefore determined that a recommendation for a prohibition order would not be appropriate in this case.'
BBC News
6 days ago
- BBC News
Chester-le-Street deputy head who bit and hit child spared ban
A deputy headteacher who slapped, bit and scratched a pupil during an argument has been spared a ban from the Herbert, who worked at Red Rose Primary School in Chester-Le-Street, County Durham, was found by regulators to be guilty of unacceptable professional Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel was told Miss Herbert got into a fight with a child on 18 June 2022 in which she caused reddening and bruising to various parts of the pupil's Cavey, TRA chief executive, said despite Miss Herbert admitting the serious misconduct, it was "out of character" and there was not enough evidence of a risk of repeat behaviour. The TRA heard the incident happened outside of school and alcohol was witness said she had visited the child shortly and the youth said Miss Herbert caused two bite marks, one on their hand and another on their head. 'Fight was a blur' The child said also said they had been slapped and scratched by "Miss Herbert's false nails" and were "called fat" by the panel were shown documents detailing the child's injuries including red marks, scratches and bruising to various parts of their body, including their face, neck, leg and Herbert, who was also employed as a special educational needs coordinator and deputy safeguarding lead at the school, admitted the incident was a "blur" but accepted she had a verbal argument which she said "became physical on both sides".The school referred the matter to the TRA on 28 April 2023 after Miss Herbert accepted a police caution for common assault. 'Genuine remorse' The TRA panel found Miss Herbert was in breach of teaching standards and her conduct "could potentially damage the public's perception of a teacher".Whilst the panel acknowledged Miss Herbert's misconduct was serious, it noted the incident was isolated and "out of character" for the teacher who "appeared to have an unblemished record", working successfully in senior and trusted also said Miss Herbert had shown "genuine and significant regret and remorse", admitting her honesty about the events and "accepting the blame as the adult in the situation".Mr Cavey said the risk of repetition was "very low" and prohibiting Miss Herbert from teaching for a period of at least two years would not "produce any material change or serve any useful purpose". Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
The Independent
17-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
England's record wicket-taker James Anderson enters Big Bash draft
England's all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson has entered into the Big Bash draft. Earlier this month, seamer Anderson, 42, played his first T20 match for 11 years and took three wickets as Lancashire beat Durham in their Vitality Blast North Group fixture at Chester-le-Street. Anderson – who retired from Test cricket last summer having taken 704 wickets, the most successful pace bowler in the format – turns 43 at the end of July. He went unsold in the auction for the 2025 Indian Premier League during November and was not picked up in the Hundred draft during March. If selected in Thursday's Big Bash draft by one of the eight clubs, Anderson would be the oldest overseas player to feature in the Australian tournament and the second oldest of all time behind Brad Hogg. England paceman Jofra Archer has also put himself into the draft, along with Sam Curran. Zak Crawley and Liam Livingstone have a nominated availability of between four and six games over the course of the tournament, which runs from December 21 through to the end of January 2026. Pakistan's T20 talents Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi are also up for auction. New Zealander Kane Williamson, though, is only available for a maximum of three Big Bash games. 'The quality of the pool certainly vindicates our decision to bring this year's draft forward to allow clubs to get a fast start on locking in overseas stars so they have certainty before they use the other mechanisms to build their teams,' Cricket Australia's executive general manager Alistair Dobson said on
Daily Mail
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Liam Dawson says no longer worrying about England selection was integral to his stunning comeback after veteran's career-best figures against West Indies
Liam Dawson reckons no longer fretting about England selection was integral to his stunning comeback in international cricket. Hampshire veteran Dawson made a mockery of the fact that Friday's opening match of the Twenty20 series against West Indies at Chester-le-Street was his first international appearance for three years, and first on home soil for eight, by claiming career-best figures. The 35-year-old's four for 20 sealed a 21-run win, and the man of the match award, after Jos Buttler celebrated his return to the ranks with a belligerent 96. Admitting 'I had probably got to an age where I thought international cricket was gone,' Dawson said: 'I think just going out there and not worrying about playing for England a lot helped. That can hamper you sometimes. I've not really worried about that for the last three years. 'I've tried to enjoy my cricket because I'm at an age now where I know that I'm close to finishing. I'm on the edge of that. So, it's about enjoyment, trying to work smarter in your training, and just believing that you're good enough. It's probably more of a mental thing than anything.' Despite becoming one of the most consistent performers with bat and ball domestically - he was county cricket's player of the year for 2024 - Dawson conceded there were still nerves when he was named as one of four spinners for Harry Brook's first game as T20 captain. 'The older you get, you learn to deal with nerves. You accept that they're there. Obviously, I was very nervous coming back in to international cricket. It's high profile, but luckily, I dealt with it well,' he said. England's tactical plan was to starve West Indies' big hitters of pace on the ball at a ground with a huge playing area - it worked a treat as a flurry of catches were held in the deep. But the spin-heavy approach was also a nod to preparing for next February's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, and so overnight, Dawson's career renaissance has taken an intriguing twist. An unused member of England's world champion one-day squad of 2019, he now appears a sound bet to be involved in eight months' time. 'Listen, it's been one game. It's obviously very good to contribute here, and I hope it can continue, but I know how cricket works,' he said. 'You've got to be consistent. So I'll park this and go again.'
