THE manager of Northwich's B&Q is confident about his store's future after an announcement that parent company Kingfisher is to axe 22 branches nationwide.

On Thursday an announcement was made that 19 older supercentres and three B&Q warehouses are to close following publication of the company's interim results.

In addition, about 16 more stores, mostly warehouses, will be reviewed for opportunities to downsize, with the space released being marketed to other retailers.

The stores affected will be briefed in detail in the next two weeks and will not be identified until this has been done.

But Daniel Gilbert, 33, who has been manager at the Manchester Road store for two-and-a-half years, said Northwich did not meet the criteria set out for those under threat.

He said: "I am confident that the store won't close.

"Some towns have two stores while some have stores that are too big to be viable."

The Northwich store has been open for 16 years and there are 85 members of staff.

Ian Cheshire, chief executive of B&Q, said: "We have been shutting older stores each year for many years now.

"We have decided to accelerate this closure programme because in some areas, we can now serve our local customer demand efficiently with our newer stores .

"And with the rapid rise in property costs some of our older smaller stores are no longer viable."

"Our priority now is to develop a store by store people plan for our 1,250 staff affected, which we believe will ensure we transfer the vast majority of our current colleagues to jobs in other local stores."