Staff at The Body Shop stores in Sunderland and Dalton Park face anxious wait as administrators begin to announce closures

Staff at The Body Shop stores face an anxious wait after administrators announced the company would close almost half of its 198 UK stores.

The firm, which is also reducing the size of its HQ, is expected to see hundreds of job losses.

The Body Shop has branches in The Bridges in Sunderland and an outlet store in Dalton Park, as well as Durham City and a number of other locations across the North East.

Seven stores will close today, including four in London and branches in Nuneaton, Ashford and Bristol.

The Body Shop employs around 2,200 people in the UK, including 750 staff at its head office.

Administrators said closures and cuts would "help re-energise" the brand.

The UK arm of The Body Shop was put into administration last week, a couple of months after it was bought up by Aurelius, a German private equity firm.