THE hearing of a winding up petition brought by the government to close down an East Lancashire business has been adjourned.

The High Court proceedings scheduled for today relating to Store First Limited, which has its headquarters in Padiham and warehouses in Blackburn and Burnley, have been put off until a date yet to be fixed.

The company has said said it intends to ‘defend these proceedings vigorously’ and that it had always ‘worked in an open and transparent manner’ since its formation six years ago.

The petitions have been bought by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

A spokesman for the Insolvency Service added: “We are aware that investors in these companies are being contacted by Insolvency Advisory Ltd, also known as IA Practitioners. The Insolvency Service has no association with Insolvency Advisory Ltd.”

It was unable to comment further on the progress of the proceedings. Store First Blackburn Limited, Store First Midlands Limited and Store First St Helens Limited also face winding up petitions. They were served on May 11.