A HISTORIC North of England clothing retailer has gone into administration, potentially putting more than 300 jobs at risk.

The firm appointed Adrian Berry and Claire Boardman, of Deloitte LLP, as joint administrators for Greenwoods Menswear Ltd of Bradford on Wednesday.

They said “challenging” conditions in the UK’s retail sector had affected the company.

There are shops in Darlington, Durham and Bishop Auckland.

The company, which sells formal and casual menswear, began trading in 1860 and is said to have had a £20m turnover.

Mr Berry said: “We are currently assessing the options available to the company, including a potential sale of the business, and are continuing to trade it in the meantime.

“No redundancies are being announced at this stage and we are grateful to the employees for their support at this difficult time.

“This is a challenging time for the UK retail sector, which has affected the company.”

There are 63 stores and two concessions in the UK, with its headquarters on Canal Road, Bradford, and warehouse also in the city.

The company employs 318 people, 292 of which work in stores, 15 at the head office and 11 in the warehouse.