Northumberland food factory shut days after rescue

Jan 5 2011 by Brian Daniel, The Journal

A TROUBLED Northumberland factory closed just days after reopening, it was claimed last night.

The Longbenton Foods factory at Amble is said to have been locked up again on Thursday, December 23, four days after reopening following an enforced closure.

There were also claims last night staff were only paid for two weeks’ work for December. The factory was first closed on December 6, three days after administrator Begbies Traynor, which handled the sale of the site to Longbenton Foods, was granted an injunction preventing the premises being used.

It is understood that injunction related to £500,000 the company owed in connection with its purchase of the site.

The injunction was eventually lifted on December 14 with the agreement of all parties and it was thought the money had been paid.

However, the factory did not reopen immediately.

Staff are understood to have been in the factory over the weekend of December 18 and 19 cleaning.

Production is then said to have resumed on December 20.