Fresh fears were raised over the survival of High Street bookseller Borders today after its website closed to trading, staff at stores said they had been told to stop accepting advance orders, and at least three distributors severed links with the retailer. Borders, which also has the Books Etc brand, was thought to be in discussions with rivals including Waterstone's-owner HMV about selling the business, but concern is now growing that the retailer is on the brink of collapsing into administration. Customers trying to buy a book on Borders' website got the message "Sorry, title cannot be purchased" this morning.

In stores, including its 11 London branches, staff were telling shoppers that Borders was not accepting orders "due to a problem with [its] wholesalers". At least two of the UK's biggest book firms, Stephen King's publisher Hachette UK, and Random House, which brings Dan Brown's titles to market, have cut off trading with Borders UK. Random House's distributor said it had "immediately stopped Borders UK Ltd and Book Etc accounts" after the bookseller blocked a payment.

Another major group, the Independent Alliance, which represents some of the country's biggest independent publishers, including London-based Faber & Faber and Profile Books, has also stopped trading with Borders, which means it faces a dearth of important releases in the run-up to Christmas.