A spokesman for the retailer confirmed JD Sports did not pay any of its quarterly rents or service charges across its approximately 390-strong store estate in the UK and Ireland on the due date last Wednesday.

He said the fashion retailer was in discussions with landlords about rents ahead of the next quarterly due date on June 24.

The business made the decision to close all of its stores across the UK, Europe and the USA due to the coronavirus outbreak on March 24. It said while it would continue to trade from its ecommerce site, the store closures would have a “significant impact” on its financial outlook.