Shop workers in the island could face a bleak Christmas as Sir Philip Green’s stricken retail empire Arcadia collapses into administration, it has been claimed.

A union leader has warned the island’s main shopping area faces the prospect of becoming a ghost town.

There are five Arcadia shops in Douglas - Topshop, Topman, Dorothy Perkins, Burton and Wallis.

Across the British Isles around 13,000 jobs are at risk following the Arcadia crash. Deloitte, its administrator, says it will keep stores open while it seeks a buyer.

Debbie Halsall, island-based regional officer of the union Unite, said a number of workers from these shops are members of her union.

She said she was shocked by the news and described it as a blow to the island.

She told the Manx Independent: ’I fear this will mean a bleak Christmas for our members.’

She added: ’The ripples are coming across the waters to these shores and could have a significant impact on the island and the local economy.’

Mrs Halsall fears the island’s leading shopping area will ’become a ghost town’ and she would be contacting her local members to offer support at this worrying time.

Mrs Halsall said she felt visibly shocked by the events and said: ’While Sir Philip Green swans around in his luxury yacht and enjoying a very comfortable existence, working class people are likely to suffer.’

She hoped there could be some form of reprieve but she believes this was looking unlikely.

Oliver Cheshire, town centre manager, Douglas Borough Council, said: ’As soon as I heard the news my first concern was the managers of the stores and their staff.

’I’ve been in touch with them and at this stage there is still a lot of uncertainty about the future.

’For the time being the stores will continue to trade and no staff have been made redundant at this present time.

’We are all hopeful that something can be sorted and buyers found for the businesses.’

Andy Corrie, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce retail committee, said he hoped there will be buyers to take on the brands. ’I would be very confident to say that in some guise those brands will survive in some way, shape or form.’

Mr Corrie agreed the news would be worrying for staff saying: ’Any member of staff who works for any company that is going into administration, I would absolutely feel for them, because they would be concerned for their future, concerned for whether they will still have a job and also their families.’

He added: ’Let’s keep on the positive side and let’s hope that either Arcadia find a way through these difficulties or alternatively those brands get sold to strong buyers and then the businesses can continue and the staff have a secure future.’

Mr Corrie said said: ’Some of those businesses have representatives that are members of the Chamber of Commerce and we are in touch with the people that work for those businesses, and Oliver Cheshire, who looks after the Douglas town centre retailers, is also in touch with not only the people in the stores but also the head offices.’

Mr Corrie, area operations manager for the island’s Co-operative shops, said: ’The Arcadia group has gone into administration, but those brands are very strong and there is a number of buyers very interested already in taking on those brands, and most business analysts would believe that most, if not all of those brands, will survive and be taken on by other operators.

’So that would be good news for the branches that are on the Isle of Man and they will still survive in that environment.

’I think the Isle of Man still has a thriving retail sector particularly the small retail businesses. You only have to walk down the high street in Ramsey to see the strength of the local offering of businesses. So there would certainly be job opportunities within retail should people find themselves in need of employment.

’I believe there would be plenty of job offerings available.’

He added it was very sad news to hear of any retail company facing difficulties but he pointed to the recent difficulties faced by Monsoon group but the Isle of Man store survived and continues to operate, ’let’s hope the same future awaits these high-street brands.’