JOBS at Kidderminster's B&Q store could be under threat as the company announces it will be closing 60 stores in the UK.

As part of a battle against slow sales, an additional six stores will 'shrink' as part of the measures, but it is not yet known if the Kidderminster store will be affected.

The closure of the "few loss-making stores in Europe" is one of the first major decisions to be taken by the new chief executive of B&Q's parent company Kingfisher, Véronique Laury, who took on the role in September last year.

A statement said: "Kingfisher has said for some time that B&Q UK & Ireland can adequately meet local customer needs from fewer stores and that some of the store should be smaller."

Kingfisher also announced a 15.2 per cent fall in pre-tax profit to £644m for 2014.

Ms Laury said it was "clear" the firm needed to organise itself "very differently to unlock our potential", and described the move as part of a set of "first sharp decisions" she was taking.

The closures are likely to lead to the loss of hundreds of jobs.

Alone with the fate of the Green Street store, it is not yet known if the other Worcestershire B&Q stores in Malvern, Evesham, and Redditch are at risk.