More than 200 people across Harrow and Brent will lose their jobs if high street favourite Woolworths fails to find a buyer.

The crisis stricken chain employs a total of 227 people in its seven stores, in the two boroughs, and with thousands hitting closing down sales this week their fate looks increasingly bleak.

Deloitte, the accountancy firm working to save the retailer, seem to be losing the battle to find new owners for Woolies and have admitted some stores could face the chop before Christmas.

The crisis deepened today as Entertainment UK (EUK), Woolworths' CD and DVD distribution division, wielded the axe on 700 workers.

As it stands the Wealdstone and Kenton branches employ 16 staff members each, the Pinner store has 13, Rayners Lane 25, and Harrow's biggest store in the St George's Centre 100.

Therefore, 170 jobs in Harrow alone will be lost as a result of the cull.

A further 39 workers at the branch in Wembley High Road and 18 more at the Preston Road store face redundancies.