Around 300 nightclub staff, including some in the North-East, are set to lose their jobs after the administrator of Luminar today announced the closure of 11 loss-making venues.

Luminar, which runs Liquid, Oceana and Lava and Ignite clubs in town centres across the UK, collapsed into administration last month after lenders refused to extend a recent period of leniency on its 90 million debts.

Administrator Ernst and Young said the closures represented an acceleration of a turnaround plan for the business and the clubs being closed had already been identified as non-core.

But Ernst and Young said Luminar's remaining 65 clubs will continue to trade as normal as the administrator seeks a potential buyer.

Alan Hudson, the joint administrator, added that the closures leave a core estate of profitable clubs which have attracted interest from a number of potential buyers.

The clubs to close are in Sunderland, Brighton, Bury St Edmunds, Basingstoke, Wigan, Hemel Hempstead, High Wycombe, Northampton, Mansfield, Redditch and Swindon.