DEBENHAMS in Bournemouth has again been saved from the axe despite an announcement that 19 more of the company's stores are set to close this month.

The store, one of the biggest in Bournemouth town centre, will remain open, as will Debenhams in Southampton.

The company went into administration in April 2019 in a bid to reduce its debt.

Among the stores earmarked for closure are Southsea in Portsmouth, Wimbledon in London and Walton-on-Thames in Surrey.

Debenhams chief executive Stefaan Vansteenkiste said in a statement: "We are working hard to implement the transformation of Debenhams.

"Despite a challenging retail environment, thanks to our colleagues' hard work and our investor group's commitment, we are progressing with our turnaround."