The House of Fraser store in Birkenhead has been "saved" from closure, it's been claimed.
The town's MP Frank Field has said the decision comes after a meeting between himself and Mike Ashley, whose firm Sports Direct bought the brand last year.
According to Mr Field, the meeting took place on the back of his request to Sports Direct, to reconsider the decision to close the store and "exhaust every available option for keeping it open".
The MP, who last week announced he would be standing in the next election for his new Birkenhead Social Justice Party, said he spoke through a "range of options" with Mr Ashley, who told Mr Field the store will "immediately be stocked".
He said that together with the landlord, he wanted to help keep the store open for "several years".
Mr Field said: "I met Mike Ashley this week to try and find a way of safeguarding the immediate future of Birkenhead’s House of Fraser.
"I’m really pleased that we have succeeded on this front. During our meeting, he pointed out how crippling the current system of transitional relief on business rates can be for household names on the high street – not only in Birkenhead, but across the country.
"If you’re struggling as a business, the system seems to clobber you. Clearly this raises broader questions about the future of the high street. I’m therefore seeking a meeting with the Local Government Secretary, to see if he will review this system."
