British photography studio firm Olan Mills has fallen into administration.

Britain’s largest photography studio, Olan Mills, has gone into administration, joining the long list of retailers to go under this month.

The studio ceased trading on 26 December and its website has been replaced with a closure notice. All 36 stores in England and Wales have already closed and hundreds of people have lost their jobs.

Thousands of families across the UK may not receive their pre-paid Christmas gifts as a result of the company’s collapse. According to an article in The Times, Olan Mills has been accused of pocketing funds from Christmas sales without providing the goods – customers were encouraged to pay for goods in advance.

Olan Mills, based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, said in a statement on its website that an administrator would soon be appointed. The administrator will then deal with any customer claims.

Furthermore, the company stated that it aimed to fulfil outstanding orders which would be posted direct to home addresses in January. It remains unclear how long customers will have to wait for a refund as they join the list of unsecured creditors.

Olan Mills is the latest retailer in a long line to fall into administration – it joins Scottish firm USC, furniture retailer MFI and high street homeware store The Pier.