Courts, the stricken furniture retailer forced into administration this week owing banks £280m, will keep its stores closed indefinitely to protect staff after a series of incidents involved angry customers.

KPMG, the administrator, said yesterday that no date had been set for the re-opening of the 88 stores following a small number of violent incidents. Courts Contracts, a non-core part of the business that supplies furniture to show homes for residential building companies, was yesterday sold by the administrator to its management for an undisclosed sum. The MBO would secure 90 jobs and reflected good value for creditors, KPMG said.