Argos to the rescue! Many of the 45 staff at the ill-fated Woolworths store at Monks Cross, York, have been interviewed for new jobs by the Argos retail chain.

Argos plans to open a new Extra store next to TK Maxx in Monks Cross Drive, on May 10, and hopes to recruit some of the Woolworths staff who face redundancy next month after the store closes to the public on Saturday.

Devastated staff at Woolworths suddenly learned, in an announcement on March 8, that the store was to close and would make way for a new Marks & Spencer to take over the lease of their building.

A letter to the staff revealed that Woolworths had been "approached by our landlord for the surrender of our lease, with the offer of a substantial capital sum". Interviews have already taken place to fill some of the 54 Argos vacancies, both full and part-time.

An Argos spokesperson said: "When David Bower, the new manager organising our Monks Cross store, heard news of the closure he got in touch with Woolworths and they agreed to co-operate and let the staff know that there were opportunities. Many of them applied."

Woolworths decided to close its Monks Cross store on Saturday, although the staff will continue "tidying up". A spokesman for Woolworths said: "All 45 members are currently in a 30-day consultation period, discussing their individual futures."

It was not known at this stage how many would be redeployed to the city centre Woolworths, in Spurriergate, or elsewhere. "Final number of redeployments and work finish dates will not be known until these consultations are complete," said the spokesman.

The new Argos, about 400 metres away from Woolworths, will consist of a 10,000 sq ft building taken on a long lease.

Being an Extra store, it will offer a stock of 17,500 products - about three per cent more than a traditional Argos store.

Updated: 11:30 Tuesday, March 22, 2005