The head office of health stores group Julian Graves will close meaning the loss of more than 150 jobs in the Black Country, new owners Holland & Barrett announced today.

All 169 staff at Julian Graves’ warehouse and processing base on the Pensnett Trading Estate, Kingswinford, have been told the plant will close in March.

Bosses are trying to soften the blow by inviting all employees to apply for new jobs.

But they are more than 30 miles away in Nuneaton or Burton, and it was unclear this morning how many positions were available.

In a statement Holland & Barrett said the decision to shut the site had been taken to “secure the long-term future of the business and its retail staff”, adding shop workers made up the majority of Julian Graves’ workforce.

Spokesman Christina Panayi said: “The decision to close the Julian Graves head office site has been taken after careful consideration of the business as a whole.”