(Telecompaper) UK retail chain Phones 4u has gone into public administration and did not open its doors on 15 September. The move follows Vodafone deciding to stop selling through Phones 4u two weeks ago. The Guardian reports that mobile network EE is undestood to have decided to also pull out on 12 September, after talks that week. Phones 4u is owned by BC Partners, which said it would name PwC as administrators for its 720 locations, including 550 stores. Phones 4u has GBP 635 million of debt. BC bought it for GBP 610 million in 2011. Phones 4u said it would continue to pay its 5,600 staff until further notice. Vodafone's Phones 4u contract, which accounts for 20 percent of sales and profit, runs until February next year. EE told the Guardian that the contract would not run beyond September 2015, in line with its strategic focus on indirect channel growth. Phones 4u it still had significant cash in the bank, and was still profitable, with turnover of over GBP 1 billion and GBP 105 million of underlying earnings last year.