STAFF at an independent greengrocer in Cowley are celebrating after their jobs were saved when the shop was bought by its wholesale supplier.

The Stokes shop in Templars Square is one of just five chosen by buyer Premier Fruits out of a chain of 35 up for sale nationwide.

Manager Mark Ibbetson said: "The staff are very happy now that their jobs have been secured.

"We have had a terrific customer response. Some customers were nearly moved to tears at the thought that we might close. We have a a really dedicated little customer following."

Premier Fruits spokesman Simon Harvey said it had been picked because the local community showed such strong support for independent retailers.

Accountants KPMG, the administrators of Stokes greengrocery chain, have closed 20 stores nationwide with the loss of 170 jobs, saving just 59 jobs with the sale to Premier Fruits of shops at Bath, Brixham, Cowley, Dawlish and Paignton.

Ten stores had already closed before administrators were brought in, and the 13 full and part-time staff in Cowley have been waiting since the beginning of the month to learn their fate.

Mr Harvey said: "The Cowley store is one where we feel that historically there has been strong community support. for shopping for independent retailers, and we hope that will continue.

"We plan to make the shop bigger, better and more customer friendly, so that people want to shop there."

It is the company's first venture into retail. It has warehouses in London's Covent Garden, Portsmouth and the South West supplying the catering industry and independent shops.

Richard Hill, joint administrator and partner at KPMG said: “We are pleased to be able to announce the sale of these five stores, saving 59 jobs and allowing these well-established South West stores to continue trading.

"We are still following up interest in a number of the closed stores and, if successful, I would hope that some of the former employees from these stores may get their jobs back.”

Stokes went into administration on October 20. Eleven stores closed immediately, resulting in 98 redundancies, with a further nine closures on October 26 resulting in a further 72 redundancies. Ten stores had been closed earlier in October, before the appointment of administrators.

Of the 277 employees, 30 were based at the company’s headquarters in St Philips, Bristol.

Mr Harvey said Premier Fruits, which has a head office in Southampton, had enlisted retail experts to mastermind the new shops, and would assess them to decide on any changes.

Templars Square, opened in 1965, has survived the departure of Sainsbury's, since replaced by Wilkinson's, and then Woolworth's, replaced last year by the 99p store.