Nottinghamshire Wilko workers 'distraught' at mass redundancies

Wilko workers have said they are "distraught" at losing their jobs after weeks of uncertainty.

Nearly all of the workforce's 12,500 staff will be let go - many of them from their head office and warehouse in Worksop, Nottinghamshire.

Dozens of staff members attended a job fair in the town with businesses across the Bassetlaw region showcasing their job vacancies.

One worker told the BBC the redundancy call was "hard to take".

Josh Carruthers, from Retford, had worked at Wilko's head office in Worksop for the past eight years.

After weeks of uncertainty, he found out at 10:00 BST by phone he was being made redundant.

"A lot of us are distraught that it has happened," he told BBC East Midlands Today.

"But the weight has lifted now so a lot of people are glad that we can finally approach other jobs and give them start dates.

"[The redundancy] was hard to take, it was definitely not a call I wanted to receive."

Another worker, Lauren Glacier, said: "It is just very sad, I've got to think about my bills, I've got kids at home."

"That's the main worry really, [not] having that support and income which I'll sadly lose," she added.

Wilko's rivals have been buying up parts of the company since administrators were unable to find a buyer for the whole business.

Some staff may be re-employed as a result.

The Range has agreed a £5m deal to buy the Wilko brand after a rescue bid for the wider business fell through.

But this will not prevent Wilko shops disappearing from UK high streets.

On Tuesday, the owner of Poundland agreed a deal to take on the leases of about 71 Wilko shops, which will reopen under its own brand.

Another rival B&M has also agreed to buy 51 of Wilko's shops in a £13m deal.

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].