H&M distribution centre jobs in Stoke-on-Trent under threat

XPO Logistics runs the warehouse at Sideway in Stoke-on-Trent

More than 500 jobs are at risk at an H&M distribution centre in Stoke-on-Trent.

XPO Logistics which runs the warehouse at Sideway, said the clothing firm is due to open a warehouse in Milton Keynes later this year.

It said employees in Stoke-on-Trent are being offered the chance to move to Milton Keynes.

"About 129 XPO colleagues and around 400 agency warehouse colleagues" are affected, XPO and H&M said.

"H&M and XPO continue to work closely to find and discuss suitable solutions for those currently employed by XPO and working on the H&M account, and affected XPO employees have been offered the option to transfer to the new H&M site at Milton Keynes," they said in a joint statement.

XPO said "development teams are looking to try and find another customer to replace H&M onsite", if another customer is not found, the warehouse will be empty.

In September it was reported sales at the Swedish fashion retailer were up 12% in June.

But the outgoing chief executive said at the beginning of this year he expects to close some stores in Europe, the US and China.