German bike clothing retailer folds

The double-dip recession has claimed another high street victim after it emerged the UK arm of German motorbike clothing retailer Hein Gericke had fallen into administration.

The company, which has 49 UK shops, a head office in Harrogate, North Yorkshire and is thought to employ around 200 staff, has seen sales slide in recent years as the economic climate worsened, administrators Moorfields Corporate Recovery said.