PRIMARK HAS SAID it will continue to pay all employees affected by the closure of its flagship Belfast store until the end of the year. 

The shop was destroyed by a massive fire 10 days ago.

The fire broke out on the top floor of the landmark Bank Building at around 11am on 28 August, and quickly engulfed the whole building. More than 1,500 people were safely evacuated.

In a statement released today, Primark said its main focus has “been on continued support for our colleagues while working together with the authorities and the business community in Belfast.”.

The company said all affected employees will be paid until Monday 31 December. It plans to allocate workers to other stores, “taking into account each team member’s individual circumstances”.

“We are aiming to have the team back at work from Monday 17 September. Primark is holding one-to-one discussions with colleagues to ensure that important factors such as additional travel expenses are also taken into account,” the statement notes.

The company thanked employees for their “positivity and determination” since the fire, and said its engineers are “working closely” with Belfast City Council and Building Control to “determine the best approach to reducing the size of the safety cordon as soon as feasible”.

Primark is also seeking to identify suitable premises for a replacement store.