Jobs are to be lost as troubled off-licence giant First Quench closes stores across Kent.

The firm, which trades as Threshers, Wine Rack, The Local, Haddows, Bottoms Up and Victoria Wine, has announced the closure of a further 381 stores across the UK - with the loss of nearly 2,000 jobs.

In Kent that means the closure of 27 stores, and the loss of 130 jobs.

Richard Fleming, UK head of restructuring at KPMG and join administrator, said: "We are now in advanced talks regarding the sale of the business with a number of interested parties and have ascertained that parts of the portfolio, constisting of just over 500 stores, are of interest to these potential purchasers. These stores will continue to trade while we progress with our negotiations."

However, he said, there had not been enough interest in the remaining 381 stores, and the administrators had no option but to close them.

The stores up for closure will stop trading before December 16.

The Kent stores closing are:

• Wine Rack, Widmore, Bromley
• Threshers, Plaistow Lane, Bromley
• Threshers, Faversham
• Local, Herne Bay
• Local, Swalecliffe, Whitstable
• Wine Rack, Sevenoaks
• Threshers, Bickley
• Threshers, Tankerton
• Threshers, Old Bexley
• Threshers, Cranbrook
• Local, Borough Green
• Local, Paddock Wood
• Threshers, Rainham
• Threshers, Rochester
• Threshers, Maidstone
• Threshers,Hastings Road, Bromley
• Threshers, Sandwich
• Local, Whitstable
• Threshers, Sherwood Park, Sidcup
• Threshers, Chatham
• Wine Rack, Wickham, Beckenham
• Wine Rack, Tunbridge Wells
• Threshers, Longfield
• Wine Rack, St Johns Tunbridge Wells
• Wine Rack, Edenbridge
• Threshers, Eynsford
• Threshers, Meopham