Tesco has secured a deal to take over six stores from Somerfield.

The deal covers stores in Middlewich, Peebles, Hungerford, Newcastle Heaton, Bath Weston and Liverpool Lord Street.

Tesco confirmed that staff currently working at the outlets would transfer to Tesco, with the stores set to reopen later this year after extensive refurbishment.

The news comes in the wake of Somerfield’s £1.6bn takeover by the Co-operative Group last year, when a deal was struck between competition authorities and the Co-op to divest dozens of Somerfield outlets.

Earlier this week the Co-op confirmed plans to close Somerfield’s former head offices in Bristol in a move that puts at risk hundreds of jobs.