ADMINISTRATORS have announced assets of Better Bathrooms have been sold to online retailer Buy it Direct.

A total of 325 employees of Better Bathrooms, which has its head office on Horizon Park on Greenfold Way, Leigh ceased trading and went into administration on March 1.

The company - which employed 367 people - shut its 13 showrooms, two trade counters, a customer service centre in Glazebury and a warehouse in Didcot near Oxford.

Phil Pierce and Gary Blackburn from administrators FRP Advisory LLP confirmed that the assets of Better Bathrooms (UK) Limited were sold to Buy it Direct Ltd on Friday.

Buy it Direct say they are hoping to begin trading at the end of the month and will be working with some of Better Bathrooms' existing staff.

The administrators to Better Bathrooms were appointed "following a period of unsustainable cashflow difficulties" at the business.

Joint administrator and partner at FRP Advisory, Phil Pierce, said: “By securing a sale of the assets of the business, we have been able to maximise returns to creditors.

"Buy it Direct’s proven online retail expertise and infrastructure will ensure that they are well placed to take the business forward and we wish them well for the future.”

One of the UK’s largest online retailers, Buy it Direct operates the Appliances Direct and Furniture 123 brands from three sites in Huddersfield, Barnsley and the East Midlands.

Buy it Direct managing director Nick Glynne said: “The Better Bathrooms business will complement our other successful 'home' brands, Appliances Direct and Furniture123 and I am particularly pleased to be working with some of the existing talented team.

"We hope to start trading again later this month and are now focused on resurrecting and developing the brand to demonstrate exceptional value to our customers.”

Meanwhile, a drop-in session for former Better Bathrooms staff will take place at the Garry Kay Centre in Spinning Gate in Leigh between 10am to 1pm tomorrow, Tuesday, to help them get back into work.

Wigan Borough Community Partnership has agreed to let Wigan Council, JobCentre Plus and other partners to use the site for the session.

CAB, National Careers Service and Start Smart will also be represented.