Hundreds of jobs are under threat after furnishings giant Carpetright announced it was to shut dozens of stores.

The carpet chain has 18 stores in Sussex including three in Brighton and Hove, each employing about ten people.

But scores of independent carpet fitters also face an uncertain future as question marks sit over the county's branches, which employ them as contractors.

Brighton-based independent carpet fitter Graham Wickham, 46, said he has just paid nearly £500 to join Carpetright's fitting academy.

He said: “All fitters have to go through the academy by September if they are going to work for them.

“It will affect me and other independent fitters big time if they do shut any of their stores.

“I am normally a freelance carpet fitter but there is not a lot of work out there at the moment, that is why I have ended up working for Carpetright.

“It will really affect me if they close because they are the last big carpet firm in Brighton and Hove.

“I was with Allied for 25 years but now they have gone. This is the last thing we need.”

The news comes just 24 hours after 150 jobs in the county were left in doubt as chocolate retailers Thorntons and department store chain TJ Hughes hit financial trouble.

Carpetright has been hit by a 70 per cent slump in pre-tax profits and says it is looking at the viability of some of its outlets.

It will review the future of 94 stores as their leases come up for renewal over the next three years.

A spokesman could not confirm yesterday which, if any, of the Sussex stores could be affected.

He said: “We do not have a list of store closures but there are stores where the lease expires in the next three years.

“When that happens we will look for rent reductions or may relocate stores to smaller or more suitable sites nearby. If we cannot do that then some may close.”

Lord Harris, the company's chief executive, said the retail sector was facing the toughest time he has seen in 52 years.

He said: “There are no pay rises, fuel and inflation are heading higher and you can't get a mortgage or sell your house.

“There isn't much encouragement for people to spend their money on improving their homes.”

Mark Froud, of Sussex Enterprise, the county's chamber of commerce, said: “Given the state of the housing market it is surprising this has not happened sooner.

“Things are beginning to look up but it will take another year to 18 months to feed through.

“On the positive side unemployment is not going up and despite the gloomy news we keep getting there are still businesses taking people on.”

  • Carpetright has 18 stores across Sussex including Brighton, Hove, Worthing, Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Newhaven, Lewes, Eastbourne, Crawley, Littlehampton, Uckfield, Horsham, East Grinstead and Bognor.