High street clothing chain M&Co will close all its stores this spring, including its Cambridgeshire outlets.  

Its Ely store closed without warning in December, and there are also outlets in St Ives, St Neots and March.   

There was hope as the brand was purchased by Peterborough-based AK Retail Holdings, owner of the larger-sized brand Yours Clothing, Long Tall Sally and Bump It Up Maternity.   

But the deal did not include M&Co’s physical stores.   

The closures of its 170 stores are said to result in almost 2,000 job losses.   

A post published on the Facebook pages of some stores said: “Unfortunately we haven't received the news we would have hoped for during our administration period. 

“As we haven't received any funded, deliverable offers that would result in the transfer of the company's stores or staff to a potential buyer, this means all of our stores will close.  

“The M&Co 'brand' has been purchased, but this does not include a future for our stores or staff.” 

It explained that the majority of stores are “expected to continue trading into April”.  

READ MORE: M&Co, with shops in Cambridgeshire, calls in administrators 

M&Co – founded as Mackays - announced it had gone into administration in December.   

The chain had previously collapsed in 2020 but assets were immediately bought back by the McGeoch family which established the business in 1961.   

As a result, 47 stores closed. 

The M&Co shop in Ely was located prominently in the Market Place.   

Other stores are located at The Pavement in St Ives; Market Square, St Neots; and Broad Street, March. 

The Facebook post also said: "We hope you will appreciate this is a very difficult time for staff working in the stores and we ask for respect and understanding when raising an issue.  

"We thank you all for your continuous support, and we hope to see you over the next couple of months."