Fashion and home furnishings retailer Laura Ashley is set to close about 40 UK stores, as it plans to expand its presence in China.

The company, which has stores in Cheltenham and Cirencester and a concession at Blooms in Gloucester, is owned by Malayan United Industries (MUI) and has already closed 40 stores in the UK since 2015, as reported by the BBC.

Executive chairman Andrew Khoo Boo told the Press Association that the number of UK stores would be reduced from 160 to 120, but that the remaining stores would be expanded. He said it didn't matter if customers were buying online or offline and, where possible, the company would aim to move staff from closed stores to larger outlets.

Mr Khoo also said that the retailer was planning to expand into China, starting with online retailing, before moving onto physical stores.

Laura Ashley was one of the world's leading clothing brands in the 1970s and 1980s.

Earlier this year, Laura Ashley issued a profit warning  after disappointing Christmas 2017 trading figures. The launch of its new website this year has failed to make the impact it had hoped for, with critics saying it is not up to standard.