Concerns have been voiced for the future of three Oddbins off-licences after the shops appear to have closed.

The chain's branches in High Street, Highgate, and West End Lane in West Hampstead are reported to have closed on Monday (November 6), and the Ham&High understands the store in Rosslyn Hill, Hampstead, closed last month.

The branches are reported to appear closed and this paper was not able to contact any of them by phone.

However Oddbins has not officially confirmed any closures.

Oddbins was established in 1963 by Ahmed Pochee and grew to have more than 270 branches across the UK.

It hit financial difficulties, being bought out by a series of owners and in 2011 closed a third of its branches, reducing the number to less than 100.

William Britain, chair of the Highgate Society, said of the Highgate branch: "It's all quite distressing. The shop has been looking fragile for quite a while. The shelves have not looked well stocked, I don't know the background.

"We hope that another business will take it over."

Ham&High cartoonist Ken Pyne, who lives near the Hampstead branch, said: "Oddbins closed last month. A sign went up on the shop saying the manager was going to the Highgate branch.

"It sounds like the good news is we'll make you manager of the Highgate shop and the bad news is we'll then close the branch."

One West Hampstead local, who asked not to be named, said the West Hampstead branch had suddenly closed on Monday (November 6).

Trade magazine Harpers reported in October that the chain, which then had around 15 shops across the London area, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Liverpool, was on the market, with a buyer for some or all shops potentially having been found.

It claimed staff had said stores had been running out of stock ahead of new ownership being confirmed, with Amathus Drinks said to be among the interested parties.

Oddbins and current owner European Food Brokers have been contacted.