A CLOSING down sale has been announced on the Beales website.

As reported, the future of the department store hands in the balance after administrators were called in on Monday.

Bournemouth Echo:

A screenshot of the Beales website

The homepage of the Beales website says: "Closing down.

"Everything must go."

The sale is in-store only across the business's 23 branches, including Bournemouth and Poole.

On Monday, chief executive and owner Tony Brown said he was "confident of a positive outcome" and that the chain was in "active talks with various parties".

Mr Brown said high business rates had been a factor in Beales's struggles.

BCP Council leader Vikki Slade said the government needed to "urgently reform" business rates" but there was little the local authority could do to prevent any closures.