FOUR Kwik Save stores in the region will close today, with the loss of up to 60 jobs, as part of a dramatic nationwide restructure.

The stores - in Sunderland and Gateshead in the North-East, and York and Selby in North Yorkshire - are among 79 to be closed nationwide, in a bid to ensure the future of the company.

Several hundred jobs will be lost from the 3,300-strong workforce. Last night, shop workers' union Usdaw said it was "urgently" seeking a meeting with the company.

The announcement comes amid renewed speculation about the future of Kwik Save, which is reported to be facing a new cash crisis after being saved from the brink of insolvency in February by a £50m rescue package.

In recent weeks, Arla Foods has stopped delivering milk to the chain, citing "cash flow problems", and reports circulated that bread deliveries had also stopped at a number of stores.

In a statement last night, Kwik Save said: "The Kwik Save management team has had to announce these cut backs to secure the future of the business."