The Jessops camera brand has been bought by a group of business people, including Dragons' Den star Peter Jones.
The 78-year-old Leicester-based chain went into administration last month, resulting in the closure of all 187 stores with the loss of 1,500 jobs, including 177 in the county.
Administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) announced the buyout yesterday, but did not disclose its value. It is not thought the deal will result in the reopening of stores and the Jessops name will be used to sell cameras online.
A statement from PwC said: "We can confirm we have sold the brand and certain other assets to a number of buyers, including entrepreneur Peter Jones CBE."
The retail group, founded in Leicester in 1935 by Frank Jessop, suffered in recent years as a result of tough competition from supermarkets and online operators.
Last week it was reported business turnaround specialist Hilco was interested in buying the Jessops brand and opening camera concessions in HMV, the entertainment group it took control of last month after it too went into administration.
The Jessops deal is not the first time Mr Jones has become involved with a respected Leicestershire business. A few years ago the telecoms tycoon secured a tie-up with Hinckley sock maker HJ Hall, which saw him sport the knitwear during episodes of BBC TV show Dragons' Den.
The 78-year-old Leicester-based chain went into administration last month, resulting in the closure of all 187 stores with the loss of 1,500 jobs, including 177 in the county.
Administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) announced the buyout yesterday, but did not disclose its value. It is not thought the deal will result in the reopening of stores and the Jessops name will be used to sell cameras online.
A statement from PwC said: "We can confirm we have sold the brand and certain other assets to a number of buyers, including entrepreneur Peter Jones CBE."
The retail group, founded in Leicester in 1935 by Frank Jessop, suffered in recent years as a result of tough competition from supermarkets and online operators.
Last week it was reported business turnaround specialist Hilco was interested in buying the Jessops brand and opening camera concessions in HMV, the entertainment group it took control of last month after it too went into administration.
The Jessops deal is not the first time Mr Jones has become involved with a respected Leicestershire business. A few years ago the telecoms tycoon secured a tie-up with Hinckley sock maker HJ Hall, which saw him sport the knitwear during episodes of BBC TV show Dragons' Den.
