DIY chain Homebase, which has two stores in Worcester and five more in the surrounding area, is to close a quarter of its stores across the country.

Parent company, Home Retail Group, which also owns Argos, the number of stores would fall by around a quarter from 323 this year, a loss of about 80 outlets in the period up to early 2018 . It is already shutting 30 in the current financial year.

The company has stores in Hylton Road and on the Blackpole Trading Estate in Worcester. It also has stores in Evesham, Droitwich, Bromsgrove, Kidderminster and Ledbury,

A company spokesman told the Worcester News he could not say when more detailed information about which stores are to close will be available.

The Blackpole store underwent a major refurbishment in the spring of this year. Another store, on Bath Road, Worcester, closed in April after its lease expired.

Home Retail Group launched a review of its operations as online rivals and the rise of a generation "less skilled in DIY projects" threatens a sector already squeezed by the economic downturn over the last few years.

It found Homebase was saddled with "inconsistent store operating standards" as well as "a large estate with low sales densities that result in a challenged financial model".

The announcement came as the group's half-year results showed that though sales and profits were rising at Homebase, earnings growth was lagging behind that of Argos - itself undergoing a shake-up - where they soared by 57 per cent.

Group chief executive John Walden said Homebase would launch a three-year plan "to improve the productivity of its store estate, strengthen its propositions and accelerate digital capabilities".

"This will position Homebase as a smaller but stronger business, ready for investment and growth," he said.