HUNDREDS of Boots The Chemist shops are at risk of closure according to reports from Sky News.

In a further blow to Britain's beleaguered high streets, Walgreens Boots Alliance, the American owners of the iconic brand, has placed over 200 stores under review, with a decision about their futures expected in the next two years.

Sources close to the company insisted on Tuesday that decisions had yet to be made about the stores under scrutiny, but acknowledged that a significant number were likely to be shut.

The chain has around 20 stores across North Wales, including outlets in Mold, Holywell, Flint and Shotton.

WBA said in April that it was undertaking a review of its Boots The Chemist estate "focusing on low-performing stores and opportunities for consolidation", although it declined to specify then the number that it was considering shutting.

If it pursued the closure of the 200-plus shops being examined, it would equate to just under 10% of the chain's standalone UK health and beauty outlets.

Employing roughly 56,000 people, Boots is one of the largest retailers in Britain by store numbers and also trades from about 1,100 opticians and hearing-care shops which use its brand.

The UK health and beauty retailer saw profits fall by more than 18% last year, and has warned that it would be included in a broader push to cut costs by £1.2bn by the 2022 financial year.

It has also announced plans to cut hundreds of jobs at its head office in Nottingham.

In a statement issued alongside its second-quarter results last month, a Boots spokesperson said: "We currently do not have a major [store closure] programme envisaged, but as you'd expect we always review underperforming stores and seek out opportunities for consolidation.

"As is natural with a business of our size, we have stores opening, closing and relocating on a regular basis, but we have had around 2,500 stores open for several years now."

The spokesperson highlighted "a huge merchandising project to update our self-selection cosmetics areas" and the opening of a flagship store in London's Covent Garden on the site of a former Marks & Spencer outlet.

"We are being realistic about the future and that we will need to be agile to adapt to the changing landscape," April's statement added.

Boots declined to comment on the number of stores it was now examining for potential closure.