A buyer is being sought for an award-winning pets and garden centre, which has gone into administration.  

Whiteleys Garden Centre was voted Most Improved Garden Centre in the GCA North East Area Awards earlier this year, while its pets department also picked up an award at the same event.

Whiteleys, owned by Pippin Street Ltd, has been in business for more than 25 years and has an annual turnover estimated to be more than £2m.

There are no plans to make any of its 45 full and part-time staff redundant from the business in Leeds Road, Mirfield, West Yorkshire.

Julian Pitts from the administrators said: “This is a well-established and viable business which has suffered from financial pressures that are not related to its day-to-day operations.

“We are continuing to trade the business and the garden centre will be running as usual while a buyer is sought.

“We want to reassure customers that the garden centre will be open as normal during the busy Christmas period and its full schedule of festive events will go ahead as planned.”

Whiteleys has raised thousands of pounds for charity, working closely with its neighbours at the Hollybank Trust.

Each Christmas the business has donated money raised from netting Christmas trees to the Trust, which cares for children and adults with complex disabilities.

Mr Pitts said: “This is a long established business with a loyal customer base and represents an excellent investment opportunity. We expect it to generate a high level of interest which we anticipate will result in securing a future for one of the area’s most popular garden centres.”