A DIY store in Banbury is to close, leaving the future of 24 jobs hanging in the balance.

Focus DIY at Banbury Cross Retail Park, which is due to shut by the end of March, is one of 52 "under-performing" UK stores being sold by new owners Cerebrus.

More than 40 stores have been sold to Wickes, Homebase, Sainsbury's and Tesco. But the future of the Banbury store remains uncertain.

The Focus DIY stores in Witney and Didcot will stay open.

The private equity firm bought debt-ridden Focus in July for £1. The store closures are part of Cerebrus's plans to revamp the chain, the UK's third largest DIY business.

A spokesman for the Focus group said: "The store has not at this stage been sold to another retailer.

"No exact date has been given as to when it will close, apart from by the first quarter of 2008."

About 24 full and part-time staff are employed at the Banbury store.

The spokesman said: "I'm unable to say what is to happen to these colleagues until we know what is to happen to the store."

Staff were briefed on the closure when the company was sold last year. It is understood some staff face redundancy or will be offered jobs within the Focus group if the store is not sold to another similar business.