Many BHS stores are still sitting empty after its collapse last year

Only 52 empty shops have found new tenants

More than two-thirds of BHS stores are still sitting empty, hindering the UK’s shopping centres and high streets.

According to research by the Guardian, only 52 of BHS’s 164 stores have found new tenants or have deals on the table.

BHS went into administration on the 25 April 2016, 11,000 jobs were lost.

Major cities such as Leeds, Birmingham and Brighton have managed to fill some empty spaces with brands such as Next, Primark and H&M.

However other areas such as Wigan , Bolton and Ayr are struggling to fill the vacant shops.

Stuart Moncur, the head of national retail and occupier services at Cushman & Wakefield told the Guardian: “With the significant change in consumers’ shopping habits and the early signs of weakening confidence, we don’t anticipate robust demand for new large stores over the coming months,”

“Many of these former BHS stores will lie vacant for some time to come.”