WHSmith will go from high st amid £76m sale

THE much-loved WH Smith brand is to disappear from our town centres after more than 230 years.

- By Anna Wise

Its high street shops have been sold to Hobbycraft's owner Modella Capital in a £76million deal.

Around 480 stores and 5,000 staff will be affected as the newsagent chain, which dates back to 1792, will be rebranded as TG Jones.

The sale does not include outlets in airports and train stations or the WH Smith name. Smith's travel division, which includes shops in hospitals, now makes up the bulk of its sales and profits, and has grown to more than 1,200 stores across 32 countries.