STAFF reported for duty as usual yesterday but metal shutters at Swindon’s Phones 4u shops remained firmly shut – leaving a question mark over the fate of firm’s 17 workers in the town.

Employees at the mobile phone provider’s 550 UK shops were told to attend work yesterday, despite news that the firm had gone into administration, pending a decision on whether the business could be reopened for trading.

In Swindon, the company’s 17 sales assistants and managers sat behind their desks, while others took down phone displays and unplugged wall spotlights.

But the two town centre stores were off limits for shoppers, while a concession at the Currys store was also closed.

Shopper Raymond James, 32, of Old Town, said Swindon had slowly turned into ‘a ghost town’.

“It’s going to be harder for people in Swindon to get a job,” he added.

“Swindon town centre is turning into a ghost town and they don’t have the shops to fill it. It’s a shame, they are friendly staff.”

Another resident, who asked not to be named, added: “When places like this go into administration it makes it harder for people like me to get a job.

“I am not surprised they closed today or to see staff in the shop. They got staff coming in to be told their fate.”

The collapse of Phones 4u follows a decision by EE to join Vodafone in cutting ties with the retailer, which sells contracts on behalf of the network operators.

On a note taped to the shop’s windows “the heartbroken Phones 4u team” blamed the retail giants for its demise.

“Following the unexpected decision of EE and Vodafone to withdraw supply from Phones 4u, we regret that this store is currently closed,” the messages read. “Please accept our apologies and we will update you as soon as possible.”

The company, which is owned by private equity firm BC Partners, has 550 standalone stores, employing 5,596 people.

Stefano Quadrio Curzio, a representative of BC Partners, said: “Vodafone has acted in exactly the opposite way to what they had consistently indicated to the management of Phones 4u over more than six months.

“Their behaviour appears to have been designed to inflict the maximum damage to their partner of 15 years, giving Phones 4u no time to develop commercial alternatives.

“EE’s decision on Friday is surprising in the context of a contract that has more than a year to run and leaves the board with no alternative but to seek the administrator's protection in the interests of all its stakeholders.”

But Vodafone rejected any suggestion that it had behaved inappropriately during its negotiations with Phones 4u. EE said its decision not to renew its contract in September 2015 was in part driven by uncertainty over the long-term viability of Phones 4u.

The Vodafone tie-up with Phones 4u represented some £212m of sales and about £18.5m of earnings in the year to July 31. Overall, group turnover was more than £1bn, with earnings of £105m in 2013.