Dunelm to pay back £ 14.5m

HOMEWARES chain Dunelm is to hand back £ 14.5million it claimed under the Government’s furlough scheme.

The retailer said it would also not make any claims for Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Job Retention Scheme bonus of £ 1,000 per employee, following a strong performance as DIY and home improvements continue to remain strong.

The pledge came as bosses revealed that sales jumped 36.7 per cent to £ 359.1million in the three months to September 26, with strong growth in online sales.