ABOUT 200 workers at Index stores across the region were last night waiting to find out if they still had jobs.

Littlewoods, which owns the catalogue store chain, yesterday announced it was shutting 126 Index outlets, with the loss of 3,200 jobs.

John Gorle, of shopworkers' union Usdaw, said: "Our members who have contributed to the success of this company have been left reeling and utterly shocked by this devastating news."

Most of those to close are Index branches within Littlewoods stores.

These could include sites in Darlington, Gateshead, Harrogate, Gateshead's MetroCentre, Stockton, Middlesbrough, North Shields and Sunderland. Each store employs five to 15 staff.

However, 33 stand-alone stores will be sold to rival Argos for £44m.

Those in the region that could be among those sold include shops in Hartlepool, Newcastle, Scarborough and York.

Argos will take on 800 Index workers and will also acquire the Index brand and website.

Last night, Littlewoods declined to say which sites will close because some workers on late shifts had yet to be informed.

At least 350 jobs at its distribution centre in the West Midlands and 170 posts at its Liverpool head office are likely to go.

Littlewoods Group also has 1,500 staff at a call centre in Sunderland, with 100 working on the Index business. It is not known if these jobs will be affected.

Littlewoods chairman David Simons said: "The decision to divest the business has not been an easy one to make, but it is the only solution to a difficult and unsustainable situation."