FASHION retailer Bay Trader has closed its doors in Chester.

The Grosvenor Shopping Centre-based store is one of 125 branches in the chain to shut after the company went into administration.

News of the closure is a blow to The Carlyle Group which bought the centre last year and is committed to filling empty units following the departure of stores such as George, Ponden Mill and Dolcis.

Rinku Group – which already owns chains including Tigi-Wear, iZ and Viz-a-Viz – agreed to buy 45 Bay Trading stores and 85 concessions along with the stock.

Administrators Deloitte said the deal would safeguard 566 jobs.

Bay Trading went into administration after credit insurance was withdrawn.

Credit insurance protects suppliers against the risk that they will not be paid for their products.

“We are pleased we have been able to secure Bay Trading's future," said Lee Manning, joint administrator and partner at Deloitte.

“It will be predominately a concessions-based business, with a number of stores also continuing to operate."

Bay's parent company Alexon made a pre-tax loss of £27.7m in 2008.

Parent company Alexon stressed that its other brands, such as Ann Harvey and Kaliko, would be unaffected.