At least 42 branches of Homebase could be shut as the home improvement retailer announced further closures.

The retailer is closing the stores, nearly a fifth of the 250-store chain, via a company voluntary agreement (CVA), a controversial insolvency procedure used by struggling firms to shut underperforming shops.

The closures will mean that 1,500 jobs are at risk.

It is currently unclear which branches will set to close.

In Essex, the announcement puts stores in Basildon, Rayleigh Weir, Chelmsford, and Colchester at risk.

Homebase was bought by Wesfarmers for £340m in 2016, but an attempt to bring the Bunnings brand from Australia to the UK failed.

The Basildon Homebase was one of the first to be rebranded as a Bunnings.

Wesfarmers then sold the brand to Hilco, a retail turnaround specialist, for £1.