A LAKELAND Leather store in Bowness has been saved along with 13 jobs – but the future of the Kendal shop and company still remains in doubt.

The specialist leather retailer went into administration in June but has rescued three of its 18 closure-threatened stores.

The Bowness and Keswick stores have secured new lease agreements with landlords and will begin to trade normally with new stock ranges.

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But seven jobs at its Kendal shop on Stricklandgate remain at risk.

The company’s founders, the Strandring family of Ambleside, have warned that Lakeland Leather is still under threat if it fails to make the business sustainable by saving the majority of its other stores.

Officials said the Bowness stores will continue to sell some liquidated stock to support the rest of the group and help protect the sister stores.

Fee Hayton, Lakeland Leather’s Bowness store manager, said: “There is still work to do to get more stores on the ‘saved’ list but it is fantastic news for Bowness and the stores future.

“We can’t thank our customers enough and we’re planning to give them the satisfaction of tearing up our ‘closing down’ signs during our special party on September 25.”

Richard Standring said: “We’re delighted to be able to give Keswick and Bowness some positive news but it’s not just a question of saving one or two stores.

“We need to save the majority of stores otherwise we won’t have the necessary sustainability to support central overheads.”

In order to save the business, Felldale Retail Ltd bought the stocks, assets and Lakeland Leather trading name from the administrators.

The deal helped to preserve jobs and keep stores open while the Standring family worked with Felldale Retail Ltd director Martin Foster to save the specialist leather retailer’s stores.

Mr Foster said: “I’m pleased with the progress we’re making and the lease assignments of our stores in Keswick and Bowness mark another success with more stores expected to complete in the next few weeks.

“The future of Lakeland Leather is starting to look brighter.”

Both stores are also setting-up a ‘Lakeland Leather Founder Members Club’. The company said: “It’s another way of thanking customers for their support.

“The Founder Members Club will be exclusive to customers that shop with Lakeland Leather during this troubled period to help save the business.”