Scores of Sussex jobs have been lost following the collapse of an off licence chain.

First Quench Retailing, which trades as Threshers, Wine Rack and The Local, went into administration earlier this month and 373 loss-making stores were shut.

Joint administrator KPMG yesterday(FRI) closed a further 381 outlets, including 37 in Sussex - 13 in Brighton and Hove alone - after failing to find a buyer for them.

This will result in the loss of 1,908 redundancies nation-wide and about 165 job losses across the county.

Shops are shutting in Polegate, Eastbourne, Brighton, Hove, Heathfield, Bexhill, Eastbourne, Hastings, Bognor, Billingshurst, Lindfield, Worthing, Hassocks, East Grinstead, Steyning, Shoreham, Littlehampton and Goring.

Richard Fleming, the UK Head of Restructuring at KPMG, said: “Unfortunately there has not been sufficient interest in these 381 stores as part of the going concern sale so we have no option but to close them.”

Depending on stock levels, the stores are due to close by December 16 and will be holding closing down sales starting on November 24.

First Quench had owned 70 stores in Sussex but 25 were shut earlier this month with the loss of about 100 jobs.

A total of just eight First Quench off licenses will continue to trade in Sussex and should remain open until a buyer is found.

Mr Fleming 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 are of interest to these potential purchasers.

“These stores will continue to trade while we progress with our negotiations.”

The Argus called a number of the affected shops but no one was prepared to comment.

William Stevens, of independent retailer Butlers Wine Cellar, in Queen’s Park Road, Brighton, said the collapse of First Quench came as a “big surprise”.

He blamed big supermarket chains for aggressively discounting alcohol and felt that other off licence chains may also go out of business.

Mr Stevens said: “The supermarkets can undercut everyone with their buying power. Everyone is vulnerable.”