Struggling health and beauty chain Bodycare says it will immediately shut 32 of its stores across the UK and make 450 staff redundant, after going into administation.

Known for being a bargain stop for cosmetics and beauty products, including big tubs of popular moisturisers and conditioners displayed on floor-to-ceiling shelves, the firm has about 1,500 employees.

It has 147 bricks-and-mortar shops which have become too expensive to maintain amidst rising rents, the firm said.

It is the latest British retail chain casualty as firms grapple with higher staffing costs and fewer sales.