THE Wilko store in Taunton is safe - for the time being at least.

The East Street premises is not on a list of 52 stores set to close next week after Wilko collapsed into administration.

But there are fears further stores could be closed.

Administrators PwC have announced 26 shops that will close next Tuesday (September 12) and Thursday (September 14) due to the "absence of viable offers" for the whole company.

More than 1,000 staff are being made redundant while further stores, including Taunton, await to see if a rescue deal for the business is accepted.

READ MORE: Empty shelves and big discounts at Wilko in Taunton.

B&M has agreed a £13million deal for up to 51 Wilko buildings, but the fate of the brand and 300 further stores is undecided.

An offer tabled by HMV's Doug Putman is believed to have stalled over funding issues.

Commenting on the closures, Edward Williams, joint administrator at PwC, said: "The loss of these stores will be felt not only by the team members who served them with such dedication, including through the uncertainty of recent weeks, but also the communities which they have been a part of."

PwC has also said "further store closures may regrettably be necessary".

Stores closing on Tuesday, September 12:

Acton

Aldershot

Barking

Bishop Auckland

Bletchley

Brownhills

Camberley

Cardiff Bay Retail Park

Falmouth

Harpurhey

Irvine

Liverpool Edge Lane

Llandudno

Lowestoft

Morley

Nelson

Port Talbot

Putney

Stafford

Tunbridge Wells

Wakefield

Weston-super-Mare

Westwood Cross

Winsford.

Stores closing on Thursday, September 14:

Ashford

Avonmeads

Banbury

Barrow in Furness

Basildon, Belle Vale

Burnley

Clydebank

Cortonwood

Dagenham

Dewsbury

Eccles

Folkestone

Great Yarmouth

Hammersmith

Huddersfield

Morriston

New Malden

North Shields

Queen Street Cardiff

Rhyl

Southampton-West Quay

St Austell

Stockport

Truro

Uttoxeter

Walsall

Woking.