HUNDREDS of Scots jobs are under threat as Homebase confirmed it is to close ten of its Scottish stores.
The struggling retailer has revealed the locations of the 42 stores it is planning to close in the UK, placing 1,500 jobs at risk.
It will leave Homebase with just seven stores in Scotland as the closures are phased in over the next 16 months.
Restructuring company Hilco, which bought Homebase for £1 in May, is closing the stores via a Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA), a controversial insolvency procedure used by struggling firms to shut under-performing shops.
A total of 18 Homebase stores have already been shut this year and the business has also axed 303 jobs at its head office in Milton Keynes.
Homebase says the decision to close more outlets was a "difficult one" and was "not taken lightly".
The Homebase stores that are to close in Scotland are: Aberdeen Bridge of Don, Aberdeen Portlethen, Dundee, East Kilbride, Greenock, Hawick, Inverness, Glasgow Pollokshaws, Glasgow Robroyston and Stirling.
Homebase at East Kilbride, one of the stores set for closure
Homebase said staff at closed stores will be redeployed within the business where possible.
Homebase chief executive Damian McGloughlin said: "Launching a CVA has been a difficult decision and one that we have not taken lightly.
READ MORE: House of pain – administrations and store closures
"Homebase has been one of the most recognisable retail brands for almost 40 years, but the reality is we need to continue to take decisive action to address the under-performance of the business and deal with the burden of our cost base, as well as to protect thousands of jobs.
"The CVA is therefore an essential measure for the business to take and will enable us to refocus our operations and rebuild our offer for the years ahead."
Hilco struck a deal to buy the DIY chain from Wesfarmers, the Australian group.
Westfarmers admitted earlier this year to a series of "self-induced" blunders as it revealed a £584m impairment charge against the UK business - more than the £340m it paid for it in 2016.
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