ABOUT 15 shop staff will be jobless for Christmas after Blockbuster said it is shutting both its south Essex stores.

Rentals of DVDs and games have already stopped at the Stanford-le-Hope branch in St John’s Way.

It will close its doors for the last time tomorrow. The store employs seven people.

Administrators Moorfields Corporate Recovery yesterday released a list of 62 outlets set to close across the country, putting 1,200 jobs at risk.

Despite not being on the list, the Echo can reveal staff at Basildon’s store in Heron Retail Park, Miles Gray Road, have also been told they are out of a job.

Staff at the branch told customers yesterday they will close on Friday, December 13.

It came as the administrators said no buyer had come forward for the business.

Westcliff’s branch in London Road closed within the last week after Block-buster went into administration again. Earlier this year, Blockbuster stores in Ray-leigh and Billericay were shut after the firm went into administration for the first time.

Iain Wicks, development manager at Essex’s Federa-tion of Small Businesses, said: “It’s disappointing there are people losing their jobs immediately before Christ-mas and that’s not going to be a happy time for them. “It’s important that the administrators support them as much as possible.

“It’s a blow for Basildon and Stanford-le-Hope. Block-buster is an anchor store and it doesn’t help confidence in retailers and doesn’t look vibrant when there is a vacant shop.

“There is an opportunity for the council to step in to create a pop-up shop that could encourage new businesses to try out their ideas without taking a risk of a