More than 200 jobs at risk as two Sandwell Morrisons supermarkets set to go

The firm is planning to shut the Hawthorns store in West Bromwich along with the Pottery Road store in Oldbury.

It comes just months after the supermarket giant closed its West Bromwich Ringway store.

Morrisions revealed a slump in profits last week and announced it was planning to close 11 stores in the UK, putting 900 jobs throughout the UK at risk. Bosses have now revealed the two Sandwell stores are among the 11 under threat.

A consultation is under way and discussions are taking place about relocating staff to other stores.

A store manager from the Hawthorns store in Holyhead Road did confirm that the store was one of the 11 up for potential closure, but were unable to comment further.

It is believed the store employs around 230 staff.

Morrisons spokesperson Tom Cooledge said: "We have looked extremely carefully at whether these stores can be turned around but unfortunately we cannot see a way of making them viable.

"We are therefore proposing their closure. We are consulting with colleagues and unions and we will be discussing how to reduce redundancies and redeploy colleagues around our business."

Councillor Steve Eling, deputy leader of Sandwell Council who represents the Abbey ward, said: "At the moment we don't know any further information about the arrangements that will be made.

"The Oldbury store used to be a Netto but since it changed over it has always seemed quite a busy, popular little store.

"It will be upsetting for the regulars who live nearby and use the store regularly."

The West Bromwich Ringway Morrisons was closed in March, when it was announced that they were one of 10 struggling stores.

The majority of staff from the store were moved to the Hawthorns.

Pre-tax profits for the half-year to August 2 fell 47 per cent to £126 million while like-for-like sales for the period dropped 2.7 per cent compared with the same period last year.

New chief executive David Potts said the group faced a "long journey" to turn around its fortunes.

It comes after Morrisons said it was selling 140 M local convenience stores for around £25 million to concentrate on its larger supermarkets.