A COLLAPSED fashion chain has been bought out of administration – but the future of its Cumbrian stores remains uncertain.

Peacocks, which had stores in Kendal,Workington, Carlisle, Penrith and Whitehaven, has been saved by a senior executive with backing from an international consortium, it has been announced.

The deal includes up to 200 shops and 2,000 jobs, which means the remaining 200 Peacocks-branded stores will not reopen.

It remains unclear how these stores will be affected by the deal.

The chain, previously owned by Carlisle-headquartered EWM Group, has been bought by an international consortium, led by Peacocks’ former chief operating officer, Steve Simpson.

It wants to reopen the stores once non-essential retailers are allowed out of lockdown.

Chief operating officer Steve Simpson will take over the business, saving 2,000 jobs and 200 stores, which he hopes to reopen once lockdown restrictions on non-essential retailers ease.

The chain was part of retail mogul Philip Day’s Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EWM) fashion empire which collapsed in November last year.

Peacocks had 400 stores going into the pandemic a year ago.