EMBATTLED high street retailer House of Fraser’s Cirencester store will close in January.

The Market Place store has started a closing down sale and reports suggest that staff were informed last week of the imminent closure.

Hopes had been raised that some of these stores, including Cirencester and Swindon, could face a reprieve following the announcement in August that Mike Ashley's Sports Direct had agreed to buy the House of Fraser department store chain for £90m.

In June this year, House of Fraser announced that it was preparing to close 31 of its 59 branches across the UK, including Cirencester, in an effort to keep the business going as part of a company voluntary arrangement (CVA).

Following the Sports Direct bid in August, Mike Ashley said: “We will do our best to keep as many stores open as possible."

He added: "My ambition is to transform House of Fraser into Harrods of the High Street."

Ashley pledged to save around 47 of House of Fraser’s 59 outlets and struck a deal to save flagship Oxford Street store, which had been earmarked for closure.

However, he has been unable to save both the Cirencester and Swindon branches from closure.

The Standard understands that there are no plans to close the Cheltenham store.

Sports Direct have been contacted about the future of staff at the Cirencester store but have so far been unable to provide a comment.