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Clarks stores across the UK are at risk of closure as the 194-year-old company today announced falling sales.

The retailer says it will be closing a "meaningful" number of shops as high street meltdown continues.

The historic company, which has more than 1,000 branches worldwide and 553 stores in the UK and Ireland, said it may be forced to axe more branches amid falling sales.

Already 18 stores making a loss have been shut in the UK and bosses now plan further closures for 2020.

The latest accounts show sales fell 4.6 per cent to £1.47billion, pushing losses from £31.3million to £82.9million in the past year, reports The Mirror.

It's one of a series of high street chains that have been hit by the so-called retail meltdown, with footfall dropping by 6.2 per cent, according to latest accounts.

The news comes just days after Mothercare UK went into administration and confirmed 'phased closures' of all its 79 UK stores. This includes Plymouth’s large out-of-town Mothercare store, which only opened last year.

Clark's finance chief Paul Kenyon said: "A meaningful number of stores will close over the next five years.

"The retail space continues to be a challenging sector to operate in, with a tough trading environment and a broader global climate of economic uncertainty.

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"However, Clarks' global reach and multi-channel trading model continues to provide considerable mitigation against the trading headwinds in the UK and US."

Earlier this year, the retailer confirmed plans to axe its only remaining UK factory at a loss of dozens of jobs.

The firm - which opened the new "robot-assisted" technology factory in 2017 - said it will close as a result of targets not being met.

Around 300,000 pairs of the footwear firm's iconic desert boots were originally set to be made at the factory - which would hire around 80 workers at its headquarters in Somerset.

However, the firm has now confirmed it will close after those targets were not met.

In a statement, Clarks said: "In January 2019, we announced a proposal to cease production and close our Morelight manufacturing facility in Street.

"Despite our best efforts, the levels of production and cost targets we hoped for could not be reached in the short to medium term and following a period of consultation, the proposal has been accepted and the factory will close.

"We have a strong duty of care to all our employees and have been supporting them through this process, offering outplacement support and identifying alternative roles at Clarks.

"We're pleased that 10 employees have taken up a new role within our business, but regrettably the remaining 35 employees will be leaving us. They leave with our thanks and best wishes for the future."

The last remaining Clarks plant in the UK - Millom in Cumbria - closed in 2006.