A DOUBLE blow has been dealt to Britain’s beleaguered high street.

Fashion chain Republic has gone into administration, putting 2,500 jobs at risk.

And administrators at DVD and games rental firm Blockbuster have announced the closure of another 164 stores.

At Republic, administrators Ernst & Young said 150 staff had been made redundant at the retailer’s headquarters in Leeds.

But the chain’s 121 shops, including the store at Kingsgate in Huddersfield, will continue to trade while efforts to find a buyer for the business continue.

Republic, which started as a men’s denim retailer in 1986 in Leeds under the Best Jeans brand, was hit by a “sudden and rapid decline” in sales at the end of last month after poor trading results over the autumn.

Administrator Hunter Kelly said: “Republic suffered poor trading results in the autumn and whilst sales picked up in December there has been a sudden and rapid decline in sales in late January.

He said: “We will continue to trade Republic, with a view to selling the business as a going concern.

“The brand Republic is well recognised, particularly in the North. It has a powerful website offering, owns well-known brand names, and has some very attractive and profitable stores.”

An employee at the Kingsgate store confirmed it was trading as normal, but declined to comment further.

Meanwhile, administrators at Deloitte said 164 Blockbuster stores would close over the coming weeks – following last month’s announcement that 129 of its 528 outlets would be axed.

The latest planned closures mean that about 1,160 jobs out of a total workforce of 4,190 now face redundancy.

Blockbuster stores at Waterloo and Mirfield were among those listed for closure in last month’s announcement, while the Cleckheaton store remains open.

Huddersfield has taken a big hit with the closure of several familiar stores in recent months.

The casualty list has included Comet, Peacocks, Past Times, Jessops, Jonathan James and the Cook and Bakeware Company.

Website www.virtualhuddersfield.com lists more than 40 empty premises in Huddersfield town centre.