MORE than 30 members of staff based at Phones 4 u stores around the borough have lost their jobs after administrators failed to find a buyer for the crippled mobile phone retailer.

A total of 32 workers at stores based in Dudley, Halesowen and the Merry Hill shopping centre were axed yesterday (Monday), administrators PwC have confirmed.

Eight members of staff will be kept on initially to assist with the closure programme – but their roles will also cease, a spokesman for PwC said.

Rob Hunt, joint administrator and PwC partner, added: “It is with much regret that we have made the difficult decision to close a large number of stores. It is a very sad day for the staff working at those locations and our thoughts are with them.

“We will make every effort to help the affected staff, working with the Phones 4u HR team over the coming days to support employees."

The jobs of four members of staff working in the Dixons Carphone outlet in Currys PC World at Merry Hill were confirmed safe last week after administrators reached a deal with Dixons Carphone.

And all five staff at the Stourbridge branch of Phones 4 u will also live to fight another day after their jobs were saved in a takeover deal by Vodafone.

Phones 4 u’s demise follows decisions by Vodafone and EE not to renew their contracts which would have left the retailer without a single network partner.

Following deals to transfer the jobs of 2,000 Phones 4 u staff across the country to EE, Vodafone and Dixons Carphone - administrators said there had been “limited interest in the balance of the estate” comprising 362 stores.