Cumbria’s two HMV stores have escaped closure after the retailer was bought out of administration by Sunrise Records.

Staff at the stores in The Lanes Shopping Centre, Carlisle and Washington Square, Workington faced an anxious wait on Tuesday morning after it was announced 27 of the music chain’s unprofitable stores would close across the country, resulting in 455 redundancies.

But it emerged in the early afternoon that the two were not on the list, which included stores in Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow along with high-profile outlets at Bluewater shopping centre and Westfield London.

Canadian company Sunrise Records will now take on the Carlisle and Workington stores, along with 98 others, safeguarding almost 1,500 jobs.

David Jackson, commercial director at The Lanes, described the decision as “excellent news”.

“I’m absolutely delighted for the staff,” he said.

“I’m delighted from our point of view and for our shoppers. It is a well-used and well-loved store considering the number of people who go in.

“The fact it has been bought by someone who is a bricks and mortar fan, who started off in a small record shop himself and has previously bought HMV stores in Canada, is also good news.

“I’d like to think the store has got a good future ahead of it.”

The decision is a further boost to Carlisle, which has seen its House of Fraser and New Look stores survive administration, takeovers and drastic restructuring.

Mike Ashley threw the House of Fraser store a lifeline after his company Sports Direct bought it out of administration. What at first appeared to be an exit from the city for New Look transpired to be a logistical move from The Lanes to Grapes Lane as company bosses made closures across the UK in a bid to stave off administration.

Mr Jackson added that the trend was positive for retail in the city.

“It is a good sign for Carlisle that the owners of these businesses keep them open and carry on trading,” he said.

“It allows us to retain the variety.”

Meanwhile, HMV’s new owner, Sunrise Records, said it was delighted to acquire “the most iconic music and entertainment business in the UK”.

Sunrise Records owner Doug Putman said he was “incredibly excited” to buy the chain, which entered administration in late December having previously filed for administration in 2013.

He said: "We know the physical media business is here to stay and we greatly appreciate all the support from the suppliers, landlords, employees and, most importantly, our customers."

Will Wright, partner at KPMG and joint administrator, said: "We are pleased to confirm this sale which, after a complex process, secures the continued trading of the majority of the business.”

The latest takeover follows a brutal 2018 which saw the likes of Poundworld, Toys'R'Us and Maplin go bust and heavyweights Marks & Spencer and Debenhams announced plans to shutter hundreds of stores.

Several others, including Carpetright and Card Factory, have all issued profit warnings.