THE GMB union pledged to support members facing redundancy at Wilko’s today after it warned there is “no longer any prospect that the majority of the business will be saved.”

Most stores owned by the stricken homeware retailer, which collapsed into administration earlier this month putting 12,000 positions at risk, are now set to close within weeks after a potential purchase fell through.

Some of the national chain’s 400 shops may be bought, either individually or as part of larger packages, but significant job losses are now inevitable, starting in the coming days, the union said.