THE town’s branch of Clinton Cards is expected to close today, with the loss of around 14 jobs, after being omitted from a deal saving nearly 400 of the struggling chain’s stores.

Administrators appointed at Clinton Cards, and sister company Birthdays, last month have sold 397 stores to the United States-based company American Greetings, saving around 4,500 jobs in the process.

Branches sold include the Birthdays stores in Ipswich and Stowmarket and Clinton branches in Felixstowe, Bury St Edmunds, Lowestoft and Haverhill.

However, the Ipswich branch of Clinton Cards is among those which remain with the administrators and now face closure.

An employee at the Ipswich branch of Clinton Cards said staff had been told the store would close today. The announcement left some colleagues in tears, she added.

Zolfo Cooper, the administrator, has already announced the closure of around 350 stores, costing the jobs of nearly 3,000 full- and part-time staff.

American Greetings placed itself in pole position to buy the chain after it snapped up Clinton’s �35million bank debt, making it a preferential creditor and giving it a strong position in sale talks.

The US company’s UK Greetings operation, which is based in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, has the brands Camden Graphics, Hanson White, Forget Me Not and Xpressions and supplies outlets including major supermarkets.