Claire’s will close all UK and Ireland stores in another blow to the high street

Claire’s Accessories has shut all its 154 high street shops across the UK and Ireland.

The high street giant will make 1,300 workers redundant, bosses said.

It comes after private equity owner Modella Capital hired Kroll to oversee the administration earlier this year.

A spokesman for Kroll said: ‘As of April 27, all Claire’s standalone stores in UK and Ireland have ceased trading.

‘All store employees have been advised of redundancy.

‘We understand an interested party is in discussion with a number of landlords with a view to taking new leases for some of the sites.’

The move does not affect the retailer’s 356 concessions, including many in Asda stores, and its head office.

It came after owner Modella Capital – which purchased Claire’s in September –  filed for bankruptcy.

A spokesperson said it had been ‘a very tough decision’ to enter insolvency proceedings, but the business was already ‘highly vulnerable’, and despite a series of last-ditch rescue attempts, it had no ‘realistic possibility of trading profitably again.’

The slow demise of this once-ubiquitous tween mecca sparked a wave of Millennial mourning, with hundreds of nostalgia Reddit commenters sharing how Claire’s had been part of their ‘core memories’ growing up.

‘Gosh that makes me want to cry,’ said one, while another wrote: ‘I just love this company and I’m sad to see a location closing.. It was literally a hub for girlhood.’

This is a breaking news story…. More to follow…