A fashion chain store which had a branch in Ammanford for over 10 years has collapsed into liquidation leaving staff jobless.

Store Twenty One, situated on Quay Street, closed its doors for good on Friday, July 7 after employees were told over the phone that a deal with a potential buyer had fallen through.

A former employee of the Ammanford store said: “We knew the company was in trouble, but only knew as much as the public.

“We were told there was a potential buyer interested in 90 per cent of the company, but following on from a conference call on Friday, July 8 we were told that it didn’t work out.

“We were always told about potential investors, then buyers, so we hoped that things would turn around.

“We had another phone call the same day at around 4pm explaining that unfortunately it was the end of the road and we needed to close the doors.”

Staff members were officially told that the company had gone into liquidation on Monday, July 10 which resulted in 900 people losing their jobs across the UK including six in Ammanford.

The financial issues surrounding the 75-year-old fashion chain had been a problem for a number of months prior to the closure which led to staff members being under paid.

“We hadn't been paid correctly for months either,” said the former employee.

“We would get split payments which caused several issues with staff and bank charges.

“Having to wait for money that we had earned was very frustrating.

“Lots of our staff quit and moved on but some stayed loyal in the hope they would sort their financial issues out.”

A handwritten notice has been left on the shop door for customers on behalf of the store manager.

The note reads that the staff are “sad to be saying goodbye” and that they’d like to “thank all customers who have shopped with us over the years.”

Corporate recovery firm Quantuma has been appointed to oversee the liquidation of Store Twenty One which has been struggling for some time.

Quantuma partner Simon Bonney said: "It is very sad that matters have got to the stage where all the stores were closed by management on Friday following a prolonged period of uncertainty leading up to the liquidation.

"We are now in the process of conducting an orderly wind-down and we would welcome contact from any interested parties who may wish to purchase assets of the company."

He added: "The traditional retail sector continues to face significant challenges, not least with the changes in business rates. The company was founded in 1932 and unfortunately it is another example of the difficulties arising in the current economy."