16 North East and Northumberland businesses are still owed a combined £111,000 by The Body Shop months after it announced it was going into administration. 

The skin and body care chain, which once had hundreds of stores nationwide, entered into administration on February 20 after funding forecasts for how much it would need to keep going proved too low.

The business had previously expected that its peak funding requirement would be £63 million, but it later had to revise this forecast to “in excess of £100 million”, a report sent from the administrators to creditors showed.

In the weeks that followed, administrators said that hundreds of jobs would be lost and dozens of shops closed including in Durham, Middlesbrough, and Morpeth.

It was then found out that the business owed £276 million to companies around the world, including £600,000 to employees for pay, pension contributions and holiday pay.

Now, as the future of the company remains uncertain, it has been revealed that the chain owes multiple North East businesses from Durham to Sunderland and Middlesbrough a total of £111,212.46, according to government records accessible online. 

The highest sum, owed to a business in Newcastle City Centre is a whopping £72,000 and three councils are said to be owed thousands each.

A County Durham business is also said to be owed £11,160.

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Earlier this month, the Body Shop have said they are pushing for a company voluntary arrangement, which would let the business keep trading and pay off its debts over time.

Tony Wright, joint administrator said: “In taking swift action to right-size The Body Shop UK store portfolio, we have stabilised the business and are providing the best opportunity for this iconic brand to have a long-term, sustainable future.

“The UK business continues to trade in administration, and we remain fully focussed on exploring all options to take the business forward.”