ONE of the UK's leading suppliers of agricultural goods Countrywide Farmers is looking for a buyer after going into administration.

The Worcestershire based company employs more than 700 people and has 48 stores including Swansea and Carmarthen in the south and a string of outlets along the north Wales coast.

Administrators have been appointed from KPMG, who said no "initial redundancies" had been made.

Countrywide directors said with "significant regret" the business faces "a very uncertain future".

On March 1, the company announced it had sold its liquefied petroleum gas division to DCC Flogas, however its retail business sale to Mole Valley could not be approved and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced an investigation.

Countrywide announced it was going into administration as the CMA investigation could last up to six months, and the company said it will be "unable to meet its financial obligations for this extended period of time".