MOTHERCARE is to close 50 of its 137 stores as part of a wide-ranging shake-up.

It is not yet known if the York store, at Clifton Moor Retail Park, will be affected.

The closures, which will result in hundreds of job losses, will be carried out through a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) - a move which allows companies to close loss-making shops and secure rental discounts.

A spokesman for the retailer said: “We can’t comment on individual store closures until all staff have been informed, which is our absolute priority. Of course we regret having to close stores and the impact this will have on colleagues. However, we had no alternative to executing a CVA. The business was in an unsustainable situation and was in clear need of an appropriate resolution and today’s comprehensive measures provide a renewed and stable financial structure for the business, and will allow Mothercare to accelerate its adaptation to the shifting dynamic towards online.”

Mothercare employs about 3,000 people across 137 outlets.

Former chief executive Mark Newton Jones, who was sacked only last month, will return to the fold and once again take the top job.

The man that had been brought in to replace him, David Wood, will now become managing director.

Shops in York that have closed in recent times include BHS and River Island, while Homebase has confirmed that its store in the city will shut on July 4.

In March, it was revealed that Outfit, Evans, Miss Selfridge, and Topshop/Topman are to close on Monks Cross Shopping Park in September.