ADAMS ON THE BRINK; Kids' store set for administration Another retail chain in peril CREDIT CRUNCH CRISIS.

Byline: BY RUKI SAYID

CHILDREN'S clothes chain Adams teetered on the brink of collapse last night as it became the latest High Street credit crunch victim.

The 75-year-old firm - which employs 2,000 staff and supplies Boots - plans to call in administrator Price Waterhouse Coopers.

The accountancy giant has not yet been formally appointed and a PWC spokeswoman said: "They put the thing into court on Christmas Eve but I cannot really say much more than that."

Adams is the latest retail name threatened with folding.

MFI has gone under while the final Woolworths store will shut for good next week unless a lastminute buyer is found.

And menswear store The Officers Club; tea and coffee shop Whittard of Chelsea; and music giant Zavvi went into administration before Christmas. The first two have since been sold. But insolvency experts Begbies Traynor predict up to 15 national retail chains could go bust by mid-January.

Adams has around 500 UK outlets, 260 of which are shops. There are 103 further branches across Europe and the Middle East.

It is owned by Northern Ireland businessman John Shannon, who bought it out of administration in February last year and closed 42 stores.

It was founded by Amy Adams in Birmingham in 1933. No one from Adams would comment last night.

5 failures

Woolworths: In admin

MFI: Bust

Zavvi: Administration

Whittard: Sold on

Officers Club: Sold on

CAPTION(S):

CLOBBERED Clothes chain Adams in crisis