Staff 'devastated' at pottery firm's collapse

Former workers at a pottery firm said they were "devastated" and "gutted" after it collapsed into liquidation with the loss of 83 jobs.

Royal Stafford, based at the Royal Overhouse Manufactory in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, called in administrators and stopped trading on Tuesday.

Insolvency firm Moore Recovery said the company had faced a dramatic reduction in orders and, along with energy price rises, it could not continue to trade.

At a meeting organised by the GMB Union on Thursday, Sean Ralphs, who worked at the firm for the past 35 years, described the closure as a "nightmare".

He said the closure came at the "wrong time" for him as it was just days after his wife Shirley, who also worked at the business, had had an operation on Saturday.

Mr Ralphs said he felt sorry for younger people who were struggling and have no savings.

"I've been around 35 years, I know nothing else," he said. "Ninety-nine percent of people...we live week to week."

Mrs Ralphs said her husband had phoned her on Monday to tell her the factory was shut.

"We'll be fine," she added.

Robert Morley, who worked at the pottery for 15 years, arranged the meeting to help people find out about possible redundancy packages and other companies they could work for.

"The tears last night were unbelievable," he told BBC Radio Stoke.

"The pottery industry in Stoke-on-Trent needs action now because it won't be long before another factory goes."

Other former members of staff who attended described the ceramics business as slow and said it was a "dying trade".

Kathleen Meir said she was "devastated" at the news but it had been apparent the company was struggling.

"Gutted, can't say it wasn't a shock as we did see it coming," she said.

"There was loads of slowing down, there was hardly any orders.

"I work in the packing department, I actually see the orders going out and [there] wasn't much going out at all."

The Royal Stafford brand was established in 1845 and the firm described itself as one of the handful of potteries with all production taking place in England.

In a statement on its website, the company said Moore Recovery was instructed to put it into voluntary liquidation.

A spokesperson for the administrators added a closing down sale was planned and more information would be shared "when possible".

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