Farron concerned for Kendal staff as FOCUS goes into administration

Local MP Tim Farron has called on the administrators of FOCUS DIY to look at selling the Kendal site to a competitor to safeguard jobs in our area.

Nearly 4,000 staff nationally at Focus DIY now face an uncertain future after the struggling retail chain placed itself into administration. The private equity-owned firm has asked Ernst & Young to act as administrator, saying it had no alternative after it defaulted on a credit facility. Focus, which has 178 stores across the country including at Kendal and Morecambe employs 3,919 staff nationally. The company is expected to trade as normal until an administrator is officially appointed.

Tim said: "I am keen to protect local jobs so I am calling for the administrators to look at selling the Kendal FOCUS store to a competitor. This will help to safeguard local jobs and allow the company to pay back some of its creditors. I am also here to help any staff and am keen to do all I can to help. I don't want to see what happened to Woolworths in Kendal happen here too."