A CLOSING down sale has been announced on the Beales website.

As reported, the future of the department store hands in the balance after administrators were called in on Monday.

The homepage of the Beales website says: "Closing down.

"Everything must go."

The sale is in-store only across the business's 23 branches, including Fareham.

On Monday, chief executive and owner Tony Brown said he was "confident of a positive outcome" and that the chain was in "active talks with various parties".

Mr Brown said high business rates had been a factor in Beales's struggles.